Salvation
by Mrs-diAngelo25
Summary: It's Kyra's senior year in high That brings several things to Finals, college, senior .. The possibility of Callie attacking her, yet What do the gods have in store for her last two weeks of high school? Part 5 of The Shadows of Revolution series, rated T for possible scenes later on in the
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

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It's been just a little less then a year since I last saw Callie in my burning house. I still feel my dagger going into my back every once and a while. When that happens, everything that I tried to forget, comes right back to me like a slap to the face.

My mother had gone insane after the accident and had to be sent to John Hopkins for treatment. Well, it actually wasn't an accident. What happened to John, that is. I'm still not sure how exactly Callie killed him. I'm not sure if I _want_ to know.

I wasn't sure if my mom would ever get out of there. If she did, she'd never be the same. Not with everything that happened.

I've been living with Mo and his family ever since last August when camp ended. His mom is my official guardian if I don't have anyone else to take care of me.

Today though, something I hadn't imagined would ever happen, happened.

It was Saturday afternoon and I was doing my math homework in my room. I figured I should probably do it since it was due Monday.

I would have much rather been outside though. The sun was shining, it was early summer, so most of the flowers had died down but it felt wonderful outside. Not too cold and not too hot.

Anyway, I was getting pretty frustrated with my homework. None of the problems were working out like they should have been. I was about to throw my textbook out the window when my phone started to ring. I was happy for a distraction.

I pick it up and look at caller ID. It was an unfamiliar number. I get a little nervous, remembering the last time I had an unknown number call me.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Kyra? Is that you?" I hear a familiar voice on the other end.

"Yes. Is-is that you, Lucas?" I ask, not believing that it could possibly be him.

"Yea. It's me. Uh, how have you been?" he asks.

"How have I _been_?!" I shout, outraged.

"Where do you want me to start? Shall I start when you left me with mom? How she drank so much that she couldn't stand up by herself? Or how I ran away from home a week before camp last year? Or, let's see, how about when the house burned down with John inside?" I spit, the words coming out in rapid fire.

"Wait, John _died_?" Lucas asks, obviously stricken.

"Yes, he _died_! Were you not listening when I said the house burned down with him inside?! I watched him burn to death, for gods' sakes!" I scream.

There's a knock on my door, interrupting my rant. It opens to reveal Mo.

"You alright?" he asks, peeking his head inside.

"Yea. I'm talking to Lucas." I say, scowling at my phone.

"Gotcha." he says, nodding and closing the door again.

I go back to my rant.

"I was stabbed and nearly bled to death on the floor of that damn house! To top it all off, mom went insane after that! So there, that's how I've been." I finish.

"She-you almost-where are you now?" he stutters, at a loss for words.

"I'm living with Mo and his family. Adrienne is my official guardian if there's no one else to care for me." I say, trying to calm down from my outburst.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kyra." he whispers.

"I should never have left. I'm going to make it up to you." he says, sounding determined.

"How?" I ask, curious.

"Give me one week. I'll see you soon." he says, then hangs up.

* * *

What happened in a week was that Lucas moved back to Baltimore. He bought a condo within walking distance of the docks and downtown. You can actually _see_ and _hear_ the boats from the place he got.

He asked, although it was more like begged, me to move in with him. I had told him that I needed to think about it. I talked with Mo and his parents about it.

After pacing the length of my room countless times, I made a decision. I decided to accept his invitation. It would be nice living with actual family again.

**A/N:**

**There you are my lovelies! First chapter to a new story! How did you guys like it? I definitely wouldn't want to fuck with Kyra. I don't even want imagine how many bones in your body she'd break if you hurt her or just really pissed her off...**

**Yes, yes. I know. I said it would be about two hours but it was actually more like three and a half. I went to lunch after class and then I helped my parents find my dad's parent's grave site (long story). Then, this lovely site of ours decided to be difficult and refuse to load so I could edit this chapter! I finally smacked some sense into it though and got it to work, obviously.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

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"Is this all you have?" Lucas asks, looking down at the one duffle bag.

"Yea." I say, looking around what was to be my new room.

It was open and airy, a clear view of the docks through the big bay window. There was a little reading nook built inside the window; I had always wanted one of those.

The walls were white, but Lucas said I could paint them any color I wanted. The floors were a beautiful cherry hardwood. I had French doors beside the window that opened out onto a small balcony.

"I'm getting you some new things. You've grown a lot since I last saw you. I'm sure only half of this stuff fits you now." he says.

I hated to admit it, but he was right. Only some of my clothes fit me. I had already gotten rid of half the stuff I had brought with me last year when I ran away.

Mo's parents had given me some money to go shopping right after I got to their house, and I did, but I didn't want to bother them for more. I didn't want to come across as greedy.

"Fine." I say, grinding my teeth a bit.

I was still a little weary of Lucas. There was still that little thought nagging at the back of my mind saying that he would leave me alone again.

"And we'll also need to go furniture shopping for you. Considering, well, considering what happened to everything in that house." he says, awkwardly, walking around the spacious room.

"Okay. When do you want to go?" I ask, opening the doors and walking out onto the balcony.

"That's up to you. We can go whenever you want." he says.

"Okay then, let's go now. I'd actually like to be sleeping in a bed sometime this week." I say, coming back into the room and grabbing my backpack.

We walk out of the room and downstairs. I had moved in a couple of days ago and I was still getting used to living in a house so modern. I was used to the homey feeling of Mo's house.

Downstairs was done in all cream white and blue. The blue was almost the color of the Aegean Sea. The floor was bellawood hardwood, the walls were the cream white with accents of the blue here and there.

The kitchen had dark blue and white checker tiles for the floor and the walls were white with a grass green tile backsplash above the marble counters.

"Ready?" Lucas asks.

"Yea." I say, opening the front door.

He follows me out, locking the door behind him. Together, we walk down the steps and to his car. Time to go furniture shopping.

**A/N:**

**Kind of a short, filler chapter. I'm going to upload 3 in a few minutes as well, spoil you guys a bit! You deserve it though! **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

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After about three hours of going to furniture stores, we ended up going to IKEA. I really hadn't wanted to go to IKEA.

The reason being, we had to pass John Hopkins on our way back home. I prayed to the gods we wouldn't stop. You're probably thinking I'm being rude for not wanting to stop to see my mother. You're wrong. The first and only time I've gone, it went horribly.

She had been absolutely nuts. I had walked into her room, not quite knowing what to expect. I had asked the nurse, before I went in, what exactly my mother had been diagnosed with, because I didn't know. She had told me schizophrenia.

Basically, the whole time she was talking about different people who I'd never even _heard_ of. She was also carrying on conversations with people who were dead; John, my grandparents, ect. She had also seemed to be mixing reality with make-believe things. Like, she'd think something that she had dreamt was actually real.

It wasn't fun, to say the least. I felt like an emotional wreck after I came out of there. I had spent the remainder of the night not really talking to anyone at Mo's house and just kept to myself.

Lucas and I had just left IKEA, having bought a furniture set, and were headed back home. Things stopped going my way when he didn't get onto Pulaski Highway and instead started going down Harbor Tunnel Throughway.

My stomach dropped when we pulled up in front of John Hopkins. Lucas parked the car and unbuckled his seatbelt. I sat there, unmoving.

He turned to me when he saw that I hadn't made any motion to get out of the car.

"Kyra, are you okay?" he asks.

"I'm not going in there." I say, my voice shaking slightly.

"And why not?" he asks, crossing his arms.

I turn to glare at him. "Because she's crazy! When I went, I could barely keep up with her conversations with dead people! I don't want to have to do that again." I say.

"Maybe she's gotten better." he says, shrugging his shoulders.

We stare at each other for a few seconds, blue eyes meeting green ones. Finally, I sigh and look away, unbuckling my seatbelt and throwing the car door open.

We start walking inside, all the while my stomach tying itself into more and more knots.

* * *

By the time we had gotten our guest passes, I was about ready to throw up and then get the hell out of there.

Like most hospitals, John Hopkins smelled like a mixture of Clorox, latex plastic gloves, and sickness. I always despised that smell.

A nurse lead us to my mother's room. When we reached her door, she had to unlock it. She opened the heavy wooden door and let us inside, telling us if we needed anything, to just call. I took a deep breath and stepped into the overly clean room.

My mom was sitting in a chair by a small desk. She wasn't doing anything. Just sitting there, staring into space.

Lucas walked over and cautiously laid a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around and stared at him. I was standing over by the door, prepared for a quick getaway.

They stared at each other for a few minutes. My mother looked like a nervous wreck. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes kept darting around.

"Mich." Lucas sighs, his legs trembling slightly.

She screams bloody murder. Both Lucas and I jump. She was trying to back away from Lucas, looking as if she was facing a rabid hellhound.

The whole thing just made me want to curl up in a ball and sob uncontrollably. Here was my once sane and beautiful mother acting like Lucas was here to murder her.

"Michelle. It's me. Lucas." he says, taking a small step towards her.

"No! Get away from me!" she shrieks.

Even though I wasn't facing him, I knew he looked as if he was about to cry. His shoulders had sagged and he had lowered his head a bit.

A nurse barges in, nearly crushing me with the heavy wooden door. She goes over my mom and takes her hand. She injects some sort of sedative into her arm and she instantly starts to calm down.

The nurse and Lucas guide her over to the bed and help her get under the blankets. The nurse quickly walks back out, closing the door behind her.

Lucas sits in the chair next to the bed and takes my mom's hand. She looks over, seeming much more calm now.

"Lucas." she gasps.

"Mich." Lucas says, an obvious tone of relief in his voice.

"I-Where have you been?" she asks.

"I went to Pennsylvania. You would love it there, Mich. Fall is absolutely gorgeous. The colors are unbelievable." he says.

"Where's Kyra?" she asks, sitting up.

I take a deep breath then step out from the shadows. I walk over to her and Lucas.

"Hi mom." I say.

"I haven't seen you in quite some time, honey." she says, smiling faintly.

"I know. I, uh-I've been busy." I say.

"Well, you need to come see me more often. I get lonely." she says.

She turns her head to the side and says, "What's that John? Oh yes, she does, doesn't she?"

"What is it?" I ask.

"John says you look older. You've matured a lot since we last saw you." she says.

We're quiet for a few minutes.

"Did you hear about the wolves invading New York?" she asks, breaking the silence.

"What?" Lucas asks, confusion plastered across his face.

"Yes. These giant wolves came into New York the other day and just started eating people. They went for the hotdog vendors first and then just started eating everyone in sight." she says, her tone deadly serious.

"I-I'm afraid I didn't hear about that." he says.

"I'm surprised you didn't. It was all over the news." she says, a look of surprise upon her face.

She must be confusing one of her dreams with reality. After I had found out what my mom had been diagnosed with, I had researched it. Confusing dreams with reality was one of the symptoms.

"This lady came in earlier this morning and was telling me about this patient she had had. They had been coughing up blood all morning and their room was a horrendous mess. Disgusting work. I would hate being a nurse." she says, shaking her head.

"John! Don't do that to your sister!" she says, a stern look on her face.

"What's he doing?" I ask, turning around as if John would actually be there.

"You didn't feel that? He was pulling your hair." she says.

I couldn't stay in this room for a second longer. I felt like all the oxygen was being sucked out of it. I make my way out of the room and stumble into the hallway. I lean against the wall, taking deep breaths.

This is why I hadn't wanted to come. Everything in her mind was just some delusion. I don't think Lucas realized just how bad she was.

**A/N:**

**And there you are. The next chapter is so good! I can't wait for you guys to read it! I might do a surprise update sometime between today and Saturday... We'll just have to see. Oh, and I think I got the road directions right when I was explaining the car ride to John Hopkins. **

**So, I must rant. I really hate it when people judge other people just because of their sexual orientation. We're all people here. If a person likes another person of the the same sex, that doesn't make them a monster, it just makes them different. I find my friend doing this quite a lot and it drives me up the wall. It's not a fucking disease you can catch, it's something they as an individual choose to do and if someone you know is bi or gay, you should respect their decision. It's not yours, it's theirs and it's none of your business what they choose to do.**

**Okay, rant over. **

**In other news, my mom and I watched Tim Burton's "9" last night... Pretty strange movie but also really good! I just love his work! **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

The minutes dragged by like years while I waited for Lucas to come back out. A couple of nurses walked by, just barely glancing my way. It was very quiet in the hallway.

Suddenly, I hear a muffled scream. I quickly touch the sun pendant around my neck and have my bow in my hands and my quiver slung behind me. I don't carry a dagger anymore. Not after the incident at the house.

I start walking down the hallway, going in the direction the scream came from.

I go farther down the hallway, towards the back of the building. Finally, I turn a corner to see some of the light fixtures have been smashed. The loose wires were sparking with electricity. There were claw marks on the walls.

I hear something bumping against the door at the end of the hall. I swiftly make my way to the door and put my ear up against it. I hear more shrieks and bumping, although it sounded like it was father away from the door now.

I set my backpack down on the floor and quietly open the door, only to find a bloody mess. Blood and gore were all over the small room. The lights were off but, being me, my glowing body lit the room just enough for me to see.

Crouching on the ground, tearing apart a lifeless body, was a lion-like thing. I think humanoids just _liked_ being killed by me. It had a lion's head, it's long, golden mane stained dark red.

As soon as I took a step towards it, it whipped around. It was snarling, it's long fangs protruding from it's mouth. It also had paws instead of hands. It's claws were coated with bits of flesh and blood. The sight made me want to throw up. The thing made a guttural sound at the back of it's throat and backed up.

The body it had been feasting on was torn to bits. It was mutilated so badly that I couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman. It was also missing it's head, as if it had been severed off. That was a bit strange.

I take an arrow from my quiver and aim it at the monster. It growls louder and backs up closer to the window. It's eyes looked like black holes in it's head.

Just as I release the arrow, something is thrown in front of it, knocking the arrow away in mid-air. I look around me and see two more of the lion things.

I back up a little, getting closer to the door in case I needed a quick way out. The other two things walked over to the first one. They all looked as if they were about to pounce on me.

I quickly whip out three arrows. I notch them and turn my bow sideways. I release all three arrows and they hit their targets.

To my horror, the humanoids don't crumble to dust. They must be very old creatures. Those are usually the hardest ones to kill… Well, the really old ones or the really big ones. I usually want to curl up and die if the monster is both old and huge.

I dart away as one of them pounces towards me. It lands exactly where I had been standing. I was over by the bathroom door now. I see something I hadn't expected.

Heads. Five of them, all looking terrified. I recognized the two nurses that had walked by me earlier and also the one who had let me and Lucas into my mom's room.

The _one_ second I took to look at the heads was a second too long. When I looked back ahead of me, all three of the lion things were in front of me, blocking my exit. I reached behind me to take out another arrow but they got to me before I could.

One of them tackled me down to the tiled floor while another scratched at my face. The third one was just standing there observing.

I screamed louder than I ever have. I screamed over and over again, praying someone would hear me.

I hear a crash and the lion scratching at my face disintegrated into dust all over me. I cough, trying not to inhale too much of the stuff.

The other one is thrown off of me and there's a couple more crashes. I hear a muted roar and then the sound of it disintegrating.

Blood was flowing into my eyes, blinding me. I couldn't see anything. All I could do was hear. There's one more crash and then the sound of someone breathing heavily. There are footsteps coming closer to me.

"Lucas? Is that you?" I ask, trying to wipe the blood out of my eyes.

I get no reply. Instead, I hear receding footsteps, going towards the door. Soon, all I hear is the faint sparking of wires in the hallway.

I sit up and open my mouth, only to have blood pour into it. I choke and spit the metallic tasting liquid out of my mouth and onto the floor. I wipe the blood out of my eyes and squint them open.

I look around to see two piles of yellow dust. The other pile was all over me. I stand up and go into the bathroom. I grab a washcloth off of the shelf and dampen it with warm water.

I dab the blood off my face as gently as I can. When I'm satisfied, I walk out into the hallway and grab my backpack. I rip it open and take out a Ziploc half-full of ambrosia squares.

I pop half a square into my mouth and the cuts on my face instantly start closing up. A couple of minutes later, my face looks like it should.

I wipe off the rest of the blood on my face then toss the bloody washcloth into the sink. I take one last look at the severed heads and then walk out.

* * *

I had just leaned against the wall outside my mom's room when Lucas came out. He notices the dust and blood spattered on my shirt jeans and raises an eyebrow.

"I'll tell you about it in the car." I say.

"Okay. Are you ready then? The delivery men should be at the house in a little bit to set up the furniture." he says.

"Yea. Let's go." I say.

**A/N:**

**Surprise update! I seriously just couldn't wait till Saturday for you guys to read this one! Who do you think killed those lion humanoid things, since it obviously wasn't Lucas? I know, you guys are probably wondering where the hell Nico is at the moment. All will be revealed in time...**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

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Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Did you hear me screaming?" I ask.

We were on our way back to the condo. We had been at the hospital for about an hour. It had seemed longer though.

"I didn't hear anything." he says.

"What were those things that attacked me?" I ask.

It seemed like I had learned about a lion humanoid at one point but I couldn't recall.

"What you're describing sounds like donestre. Alexander the Great first stumbled upon them. They can apparently speak all the known human languages. That's how they were able to converse with travelers and lure them to their deaths. Why they didn't utter a word to you, I don't know. Usually the only thing left of their victim is a severed head. What was odd about the donestre was that they typically sat by the head and cried over it." he says, turning onto our street.

"I guess I interrupted them in the middle of their little feast." I say, feeling sick at the memory of the mutilated body that had been laying on the floor.

"I would say you're right. Boy, the cleaning ladies are going to walk in to _some_ surprise tomorrow." he says.

We had gotten back to the house and he had just parked the car. I unbuckle my seatbelt and slide out of the car.

When we get into the house, Lucas puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I hadn't realized how bad she actually was. I'm sorry for forcing you to go in." he says, his blue eyes full of sadness.

"It's okay. Think about it this way, if I hadn't had gone in, I wouldn't have found the donestre and they wouldn't have been killed. Whoever killed them technically saved the whole staff that works there." I say, tossing my backpack onto the blue sofa.

"You have a good point." he says.

There's a knock on the door and Lucas goes the answer it. I head into the kitchen and get the number for the Chinese restaurant down the street.

"Kyra, would you go upstairs and make sure everything is cleared out of your room?" Lucas calls from the living room.

"Yea." I say.

I sprint up the stairs and towards my room. I open the door and give a yelp of surprise. Someone was there that I hadn't expected to see.

**A/N:**

**Wow, it's been a while since I've done this, but I'm updating early because I'm not sure if I'll have time tomorrow. Back to the story, yes, that was a ****_slight _****teaser chapter... I REGRET NOTHING! Anyway, how would you react if you were a cleaning person and walked in on a gory scene like the one at John Hopkins? I would probably scream blood murder and then faint...**

**If anyone is wondering ****_why _****exactly I might not have time to update tomorrow, here's the reason. My mom is leaving tomorrow for a 10 day vacation with seven of her friends. See, I'm pretty sure y'all know by now that I take pottery classes on Thursdays and Saturdays. If you didn't know that, well, you know now. Anyway, my dad is working all day tomorrow and my brother and sister-in-law made up an excuse about "having a wedding they need to be at" (my thought is, IS THE WEDDING LASTING ALL FUCKING DAY?!). **

**So, I wasn't going to be able to go to my class tomorrow, but when I told my teacher on Thursday, she asked me if I wanted her to pick me up and if I wanted to just spend the day at the studio helping her out with stuff. What I said to this was, "Oh my god, I love you so much! Yes!".. Literally though, that's what I said. Because, I don't particularly want to be stuck at my house all by myself all day long. My dad gets off at six tomorrow evening so I'm not sure if I'm going to just spend the whole entire day there, or just have my teacher take me back home around four or so. **

**In other news, I drove my dad's truck today!... In a church parking lot that was basically empty with an exception of two cars... Oh my god, I was so nervous at first, but after a few minutes, I loosened up and was totally comfortable. I'm sooooo happy it was my mom who was in the car and not my dad. He would have been freaking out and yelling at me, but my mom was very relaxed and laid back, so it was nice. I did ****_not_**** wreck the car, as I thought I would, thank god, and I only hit a curb once and that was when I was parking it. So, all is good! I'll probably do a few more test drives in the truck and then start trying to learn how to drive my mom's stick shift, yet again. The first time I tried driving her car, I nearly wrecked it into a fence... Yea, I'm not all too excited about driving her car again... I'm so excited about getting my learners permit next month now! **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**

**P.S. **

**If I'm not totally exhausted tomorrow, I'll post the next chapter :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Nico was standing on the balcony, the slight wind ruffling his shaggy, black hair. His clothes were torn and dirty.

I give a small gasp of surprise and he turns around.

"Ky." he says, smiling at me.

"Nico. I-I'm so sorry." I say, rushing to him.

"No, I'm sorry. I was wrong, you were totally right." he says, running his fingers through my hair.

I bet you're wondering what in the world we're talking about. Well, I'll tell you. I found out last month that Nico had been searching for the person his sister had been reborn into. Apparently he had been doing this for quite some time.

After I had found out, I had told him that he had to stop his search. It was dangerous and the gods did _not_ like it when people meddled with stuff like that. It was actually _forbidden_ to search.

He had told me that it was perfectly fine and he was in no danger. All he wanted to do was find the person. He had said that the person would be about seven, almost eight years old now.

We had this huge falling out about the topic and hadn't really talked that much since then. I had assumed he would come around again. I hadn't been sure if he would be apologizing or trying to tell me it was okay for him to be looking when he did eventually come back.

"How did you find me?" I ask, hugging him tightly.

"I went to Mo's. When I saw you weren't there anymore, he told me Lucas had come back and you had moved in with him." he says.

"Kyra! Is everything cleared out?" Lucas calls from downstairs.

"Yea!" I say, grabbing my duffle bag, the only _thing_ in the room, and dragging it out into the hallway.

"Hey, is it okay if Nico stays for dinner?" I ask, leaning over the railing and looking down at Lucas.

"He's here?" Lucas asks.

"Yea. Kinda surprised me when I walked into my room." I say, smirking.

"Uh, yea. I guess so." he says.

"Okay. Well, everything is good to go. They can start setting stuff up in here." I say.

"Gotcha." he says, turning back to the delivery men.

Nico comes out of the bedroom and circles his arms around my waist. He rests his chin on my shoulder. I turn my head to the side and kiss his cheek.

"Come on. I'll give you tour." I say, taking his hand and leading him down the blue tinted, tempered glass stairs.

**A/N:**

**Cute little fluff chapter. What do you guys think happened while Nico was looking for the person who was born with Bianca's soul? Questions, questions, questions!**

**Man, I'm so tired! I didn't get very much sleep last night, I guess I was worried about my mom flying today. I just got home an hour ago from the studio. I got there around 11 and I finished with my projects, then helped my teacher around the studio. Unloading the kilns, glazing a ton of people's pots, reloading the kilns. Busy, busy day. I hadn't had time to even ****_eat_**** anything at all today so my teacher bought me Chinese food for dinner since I helped her out today :)**

**I hope everyone has had a good day and I'll talk to you guys later!**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Kyra, I need to go. The hospital just called and one of my patients was just said to be in critical condition. I don't know what time I'll be back so I won't call if it's late." Lucas says, hurriedly pulling on a rain jacket and opening the front door.

"Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." I say.

He closes the door behind him and I hear him going down the steps.

I grab the blanket off the end of the couch and spread it out over Nico and I. I lean back and against him and he wraps an arm around me.

"So, did you find the person?" I ask.

"Hmm? Oh, yea. I did. Her name is Jessamine." he says.

We're quiet for a few minutes, going back to watching TV.

"She acted so much like Bianca." he says, his voice barely a whisper.

I sit up and turn around to look at him. His eyes are full of raw pain. I had thought he had been okay, or as okay as you can be after loosing your sister, but I had been wrong. He had been hiding it from me this whole time. Maybe the pain had lessened over the years but seeing who his sister was reborn into just brought it all back to the surface.

He also looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in days. I stand up from the couch, the blanket falling to the floor. I take his hand and pull him up.

"Ky, where are we going?" he asks.

"Bed. You look drained." I say.

I lead him up the stairs and into my room. I had made up the bed after the delivery men had left, not wanting to do it later on in the night.

I leave him in there and go back downstairs to Lucas's room. I pull open his pajama drawer and get out a pair of sleep pants for Nico.

Before I go back upstairs, I fold the blanket and place it back on the end of the couch. I also turn off the TV. Then I go back up to my room.

I close the door behind me. Moonlight was pouring into the room. Nico was out on the balcony again. There were boats undocked and farther out in the water. It looked like the water was alive and twinkling with lights.

I toss the pajama pants onto my bed and then go over to my duffle. I had not unpacked it yet. I unzip it and pull out a gray tank top and my Sesame Street pajama pants.

I go into my bathroom and change, then brush my teeth and get ready to go to bed. I come back out to find Nico already in the bed. He was laying on his side and looking out the doors at the docks.

I climb in next to him and he turns over. He wraps his arms around me and I bury my head into the nook between his neck and shoulder.

I fall asleep, feeling Nico's chest rising and falling against me and the sound of water lapping and boat horns in the distance.

**A/N:**

**Surprise update, because I can! Some more fluff in this chapter. 8 is longer and a question is answered. I'm not gonna tell you what the question that will be answered is though, that might ruin it! **

**Ugh. Tomorrow I'm by myself at the house from 2 o'clock till 9 at night. I can't wait until my mom gets home. **

**How was everyone's day? Mine was just sorta normal. I made my dad some key lime cookies (they are fabulous!) then I didn't really do much else for the rest of the day. I ****_did_**** get to FaceTime my mom and I talked to her for few minuets. I made dinner as well (which was a potato and sausage casserole, also pretty good) and my brother and sister-in-law stayed for dinner. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

_I opened my eyes to see I was standing in my house. My old house. But it wasn't on fire. It looked just as it had when I had run away. I walk around, confused as to what I'm supposed to be witnessing._

_After about five minutes of aimlessly wandering around my house, I hear the front door slam. I run towards the foyer to find John holding his phone up to his ear._

_With a heart-wrenching pain, I realized what this was. What I was witnessing. It was the day the house burned._

_He was calling me. I knew exactly how the conversation went. Without realizing it at the time it had happened, I had memorized it. Word for word. I knew exactly what I had said and what he had said._

_The window beside the door shatters, a sizable rock sailing through it and then hitting John square in the chest. He yells, falling backward and onto the floor, dropping his phone in the process. Then the door bangs open._

_Callie saunters in, her blonde hair falling out of it's bun on top of her head. Her dress was ripped, but it hadn't been burned yet. I didn't want to watch this. I didn't want to see him die._

_But, I didn't have a choice. I couldn't force myself to wake up. No matter how hard I tried._

_A sinister smile appears on her face. John tries to back up, but he moans and puts a hand to his chest. Callie rushes up to him and stands over him._

_She kneels down and grabs the front of his shirt. She pulls him closer to her, their faces inches apart. She forcibly kisses him. He desperately tries to get out of her grasp, but fails._

_She finally stops kissing him and pulls back, looking him in the eyes. She smiles again and reaches over, grabbing the rock._

_She looks at it for a second, then slams it down on John's chest, right over his heart. There's a cracking sound and John screams._

_She does it again, this time even harder. John looked as if he was about ready to pass out. Then, she starts slamming the rock against his head. Within three hard blows to the head, John stops moving altogether._

_Fire was already starting to consume the walls and black smoke was filling the air. I knew the windows were going to explode soon and then I was going to barge in._

_Callie throws the rock towards a small fire by the coat closet. She then takes John's arms and starts dragging him down the hallway, towards my mother's room._

* * *

I wake up, barely able to breathe and freezing cold. It was still dark in my room. I feel next to me to find nothing. I sit up and look around, my eyes trying to adjust to the darkness.

I get out of bed and go out onto the balcony. Nico was there, looking up at the moon. He hears the door open and turns around.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

I walk over and lean against the railing, thinking about how to start explaining the horrendous dream.

* * *

"Gods, Kyra." Nico says, resting his head in his hands.

"I know." I groan, laying my head on the railing.

"So, I told you my nightmare, what was yours?" I ask, glancing at him.

"Why do you think I had a nightmare?" he asks, looking at me.

I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow.

"Fine. You caught me. I did have one." he says, holding his hands up in defeat.

"Well?" I ask.

He sighs and looks out at the docks, creases on his forehead.

"I didn't tell you what happened after I found Jessamine." he says.

"No. I didn't want to push it if you weren't ready to talk about it." I say.

"Well, my nightmare started with the scene of Bianca dying. I had had this dream while at camp when it had happened, but I hadn't thought it was real until Percy told me the news." he says.

"Then it changed to a scene from the other day. I had been searching all over the place for who Bianca had been reborn into. I had gotten a lead and eventually found out that it might be Jessamine." he continues, looking down at the street.

"She lives in California. I was watching her and her family have a picnic when I was sorta pulled into the shadows. I found myself dissipating into them. It was like I was shadow traveling, but I wasn't able to control it. I started to panic. A few seconds later, I was in my father's throne room. Boy, he did _not_ look happy." he says, shaking his head.

"What happened?" I ask.

"He yelled his head off at me. Talking about how I could rupture the balance of things in the Underworld. How I should know better than to do that and if Zeus found out, he'd blast me into Tartarus and keep me there." he says, shivering at the thought of it.

"I don't think I've ever seen your dad angry." I say, gazing up at the stars. You couldn't see as many in the city as you could at camp. When you're there, it's like the whole sky is made out of sparkling diamonds.

I was a little surprised because Hades seemed like a sort of nice guy. But then, Nico _had_ been doing something that he shouldn't have been. I suppose it's a good thing Hades got to him before Zeus found out. Otherwise, he might not be standing here right now.

"It's not fun, I can tell you that." he says.

"I wouldn't think so." I say.

"Thank the gods Persephone wasn't there. I would have gotten turned into a dandelion, once again." he says.

**A/N:**

**I wouldn't have wanted to face an angry Hades. That wouldn't be fun. What did you guys think about Kyra's dream? **

**I'm thinking about uploading the next chapter later on today, but I'm not quite sure...**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Kyra! I'm home!" Lucas calls from downstairs.

I sit up right in bed, wide awake. Nico and I had convinced each other to finally go back to bed last night. Although, it hadn't technically been "night" considering it had been 3:30 in the morning.

I grab at my phone on the bedside table and see that it's just past 9:30.

I glance over at Nico. He was curled up and sleeping peacefully. I hated to wake him, but if Lucas came up here and saw us in the same bed, Nico would probably never be allowed to set foot in this house again.

I shake his shoulder lightly. He grumbles and turns over. I hated how he was such a heavy sleeper at times.

"Nico." I whisper, shaking him harder.

"Wha?" he groans.

"You have to hide. Lucas just got back." I say, glancing at my door.

"What?" he asks, sitting up and looking at me, his eyes wide.

"Come on!" I say.

"Ky, is he going to just come up to your room and do an inspection or something?" he asks, giving me a skeptical look.

"Well, no." I say, placing my hands on my hips.

"Then I'll just stay up here. I don't need to hide. Just close the door on your way out." he says, relaxing and laying back down.

"Okay, fine." I say.

"He's probably going to go to bed in a few minutes. I'll come back up then." I say.

"Okay. Guess I'll just stay up here. All by myself." he sighs.

"Oh, stop being so melodramatic." I say, grinning and rolling my eyes at him.

He smirks then bundles back under the blankets.

* * *

I walk down the stairs and into the brightly sun-lit kitchen. Lucas was eating a bowl of Kashi cereal and drinking a glass of orange juice.

"So, how did it go with the patient?" I ask.

"We had to take her in to surgery. She probably wouldn't have made it through the night if we hadn't." he says, reading the newspaper.

"Well, I'm glad she's okay." I say, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and pouring in some water.

Lucas finishes off his cereal and orange juice then puts the dirty dishes in the empty dishwasher.

"My debit card is on the counter. I want you to go shopping today to get some new clothes and anything else you need." he says.

"Okay." I say, stunned that he was just _giving_ me his debit card for a shopping spree.

"Just don't go overboard. Say, two hundred for clothes and one hundred for other things. I want you to replace anything you have that doesn't fit." he says, yawning.

"Gotcha. I'll see you later today." I say, setting my water glass on the counter.

Lucas waves at me then heads towards his room. I hear his door close then I go back upstairs.

I open my door and go in. Nico was still curled up on the bed, practically buried underneath the blanket and pillows.

I jump on the bed and he bolts upright, his hair sticking up and disheveled, looking around.

"You better wake up because we're going to get breakfast then go shopping!" I say, making little jazz hands and grinning.

Nico moans and lays back down, slamming a pillow over his head.

I chuckle and get off the bed, going over to my duffle, witch I had _still_ not unpacked. I'd have to do that when we got home later today.

I grab my favorite Green Day shirt and a pair of faded jeans with holes on the knees.

Before I close the bathroom door, I glance back at Nico. I grab a rubber duck off the sink counter and toss it at his head.

He sits up again and glares at me. I shrug and give him the "you had it coming" look then close the door behind me.

**A/N:**

**Oooooh. A shopping spree! The next chapter is suuuuper long and pretty interesting. It's got a mix of pretty much everything. Humor, suspense, mystery, romance. You get the point. **

**So what did you guys do yesterday? I really didn't do much at all. I got my schoolwork done and then I just sorta lounged around the house all day. My dad was working from 2:30 to 9, so I was by myself for most of the day, with an exception of my dog.**

**So, just thought I'd say this, Munro Chambers is my ideal muse for writing Nico. Like, in my opinion, he's just the PERFECT Nico. Does anyone else think this, or is there someone else you picture while reading and/or writing about him?**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Ooooh. It's so pretty!" I say.

"Come _on_, Kyra. Can we please hurry up? I don't want to be spending my whole day shopping." Nico sighs.

Thankfully, Nico had actually gotten out of bed after I had gotten dressed. Then we had gone to eat breakfast. We were currently in "The Limited" at Arundel Mills, one of the malls in Baltimore.

I had found the cutest dress. It was a strapless, black silk dress with little slashes of red at the bottom. It sort of bubbled out and waved when you spun around in it, sort of looking like a jellyfish when it's bobbing up and down under the water.

Now, usually I don't wear dresses. I actually _despise_ wearing them. But, we had prom coming up at my school this Tuesday night and I was going to see if I could try and talk Nico into taking me.

"Okay, here's the deal." I say, coming out of the dressing room and looking at myself in the three-way mirror.

Nico was sitting in one of the over-stuffed chairs behind me. He had his head tilted to the side and resting into the palm of his hand, obviously bored.

"Yea?" he asks.

"You see, prom is coming up on Tuesday and-" I start.

"No." he interrupts.

"What?" I ask, turning around to look at him and tilting my head to the side.

"No. I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm not taking you to prom." he says.

"Why not?" I ask, placing my hand on my hip.

"Let's just say I didn't have the best experience at a dance." he says, shifting uncomfortably in the chair.

"Pleeeeese! Come on, Nico! It won't be that bad! I promise, if the dance blows, we can ditch and go somewhere else." I say.

"And, you'll get to see me in this." I say, spinning around, making the dress whirl around me.

"Well, you _do_ look pretty good in that dress." he says.

"So, will you take me?" I ask.

"Fine. I'll take you." he sighs.

"Yes!" I whoop.

I hug him and then turn back to the mirror. I look at the reflection of myself and then something catches my eye. Behind me, standing outside the store by the windows, was a man.

He was very tall and muscular from what I could tell. He was wearing a black business suit. Straight hair, black as night, fell down to his shoulders. His skin was white and looked sort of luminous. But that could have just been my imagination.

The weird thing was, he kept glancing at me. Or at least it _looked_ like he kept glancing at me. I get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Let me change and then go pay for this and then we can go to Old Navy. I should be done after that." I say, quickly heading back into the dressing room.

"Finally." Nico says, leaning his head back and looking up, as if thanking the gods.

* * *

Nico and I had been at Old Navy for about thirty minutes. When I had come out of the dressing room at "The Limited", there had been no sign of the strange man.

I was looking at a blue and white striped vintage tee when there's an ear-shattering scream. I drop the shirt back onto the display table and grab the several shopping bags I had and my backpack.

We start running towards the entrance. I throw my bags behind a vacant cashier's counter and then catch up with Nico.

Ahead of us, there were people running away from where the food court was. We push past screaming mall-goers and towards the chaos. People passing us probably thought we were out of our minds.

We finally elbowed past a couple more mortals and saw what all the commotion was about. What I saw was probably fifty times worse than what they were seeing.

Standing on a table, eating what appeared to be an old woman, was a creature I had never encountered or read about before.

It looked sort of human, with an exception for it's skin and teeth. It's skin was a metallic looking blackish blue and it's teeth were sharp, covered in the flesh and blood of the old woman it was feasting on.

I quickly touch the pendant strung onto my leather camp necklace. Nico had already gotten his Stygian Iron sword out.

"Nico." I hiss.

"What?" he asks.

"What in Hades is that thing?" I ask.

"That's Eurynomus. He's a demon from the Underworld. He used to live in Delphi and feed off of rotting corpses, leaving nothing but bones." he says, crouching behind a table that had been flipped onto it's side.

"How do you propose we kill it?" I ask.

He peeks over the table and looks at the demon.

"Follow my lead." he says.

"But-" before I can say anything else, he darts out from behind the table.

"Hey!" Nico shouts, waving his sword in the air.

Eurynomus looks up and at Nico. His eyes were glowing red and he had blood all over his face.

He jumps down from the table and starts stalking over towards Nico. I was so petrified with fear that I could barely breathe, much less move.

Eurynomus reaches Nico and stares at him, inches apart from his face. He could easily kill Nico, yet he doesn't. He just stands there, staring at him, his eyes burning.

"What are you doing here, Eury?" Nico asks.

"You have no right to call me that." Eurynomus spits, his voice as sharp as a knife.

"Well, let's see. Who here is the one holding the sword?" Nico asks, raising an eyebrow and showing his sword to the demon.

"Why, you little-" Eurynomus says, snarling at Nico.

He looked as if he was about to loose his temper with Nico. I see Nico's left hand twitch slightly. It looked as if he was motioning for me to come out from behind the table.

I stand up and pull out an arrow. Eurynomus didn't even see me. He was too focused on Nico. I pull back the string and aim.

"You know, I don't really fancy the taste of demigods. I prefer mortals. But I think I could make an exception for you. Or, you could just leave and forget all about this." Eurynomus says.

"I'm aware I could do that…But I choose not to." Nico says, his voice hardening.

That's when he sees me. His eyes grow slightly wider, then he looks at Nico, his eyes blazing with fury. He growls and then tackles Nico to the ground. Nico was so startled that he dropped his sword.

Eurynomus bites down hard on Nico's right shoulder and starts eating the flesh away. Nico howls in pain, throwing his head back and trying to kick the demon off of him. They roll around on the floor and the monster bites down on Nico's leg as well. I fire my arrow but it misses and hits the bell on the Taco Bell sign.

I fumble with another arrow, trying to pull it out of the quiver and notch it, all the while watching the horrific scene playing before my eyes. I finally manage to notch it. I take a deep breath then aim. I fire and it hits it's target.

Eurynomus screeches in pain, looking at the arrow sticking out of his shoulder. His head snaps up and looks at me. I pull out another arrow and aim it. It lodges itself into Eurynomus' forehead.

He stumbles to his feet and struggles to pull the arrow out. He can't though. It's a forking arrow. I could see the glint of the hair-thin wires already lacing around his body. He collapses to the ground, trying with all his strength to break the wires.

I run over to Nico and lean over him. He had his eyes closed and his hand was clutching his wounded shoulder. Blood was gushing all over the floor from it and also from his leg, making a rather large pool around him.

I hear one more howl of pain from Eurynomus and then there's silence.

"Nico." I whisper, patting his cheek.

He opens his eyes slightly and smiles up at me.

"You did it." he says, his voice weak and full of agony.

"Come on. We need to get you some nectar." I say, starting to pull him up.

"No. I can't move. You go back and get everything. I'll be fine." he says, grunting and grinding his teeth as he sits up and leans against a trash can.

"But-" I say.

"It will be fine, Ky. I've had much worse than this. If you recall, I was swallowed whole by that snake a few years ago." he says, smirking at me.

I look at him then sigh. He was right. He _had_ gone through much worse than this.

I bolt out of the food court and back towards Old Navy as fast as I can. It takes me maybe two minutes since the whole mall was deserted now. I head straight to the counter I had thrown everything behind.

Thankfully, it was all still there and no one had stolen anything. I guess everyone was too panicked to even _think_ of stealing some abandoned shopping bags and a backpack.

I grab all the bags then start running back towards the food court. I reach Nico to see the pool of blood has gotten progressively bigger.

I drop the shopping bags and my backpack to the ground, then rip open my bag and hastily pull out the water bottle that was full of nectar.

I pop it open and then pour some over Nico's shoulder and his leg. They instantly start closing up. I hand the bottle to him and he takes a small swig of the godly drink.

"Hey, Ky?" Nico says.

"Yea?" I ask, putting the bottle back into my pack.

"You might want to call Lucas." he says.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I don't think I have enough energy to shadow travel us back to the condo." he says.

"Alright." I say, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

**A/N:**

**Okay, I was just too excited for you guys to read this chapter to wait till Saturday to upload it! Also, I'm in a fairly good mood today! :)**

**So, what did you guys think about Eurynomus? Pretty freaky, right? And who do you think that man was that kept looking at Kyra? So many questions! They will all be answered in time, trust me! I actually think this is my favorite chapter that I've written so far...**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"So, about prom.." Nico says.

We were sitting on one of the benches outside of the mall, waiting for Lucas to come pick us up.

"Yea?" I ask.

"I don't have to wear a tux and dress shoes, right?" he asks.

I laugh and say, "No. You don't. For all I care, you could wear your black Converse and jeans. I'm going to wear my hi-tops with my dress because I refuse to wear heels."

"Good. Then you'll still be shorter than me." he says, smirking.

I punch his arm, playfully, and say, "I'm not that short!"

"Ky, face it. You're short and you know it." he says, a smug look on his face.

"Am not!" I say, crossing my arms.

"Are too." he says, chuckling.

I see Lucas's dark blue Honda Civic and get up, grabbing the shopping bags. He pulls to the curb and stops. He pops the trunk and I throw the bags inside, then slam it shut.

Nico and I hop into the backseat and then close our doors.

"So, what exactly happened?" Lucas asks, turning around to look at me as I buckle my seatbelt.

I had briefly gone over what had happened but I hadn't gone into much detail. I hadn't told him or Nico about the strange man looking at me earlier today. I wanted to think about that a little before I jumped to conclusions.

"We were in Old Navy when we heard a scream. We started running to where the commotion was coming from and found-what was his name, Nico?" I ask, turning to look at him.

"Eurynomus. He was eating an old lady." Nico says, gazing out the window.

"I've heard of Eurynomus, but I've never come face-to-face with him." Lucas says.

"Consider yourself lucky. I think when he lunged at me, he was actually aiming for my throat. But I jumped over just enough to where he only got my shoulder." Nico says, rolling his shoulder back, as if he could still feel the demon's teeth digging into his skin.

"That was an excellent shot, by the way." Nico says.

"Which one? The first when I hit the Taco Bell sign?" I ask, arching an eyebrow.

He chuckles and says, "Well, that was a good shot. But no. The one to his forehead. Now that was a phenomenal shot."

"Why, thank you." I say, pretending to bow.

Lucas was about to say something when my phone started ringing. I pull it out to see Will's name on the screen. I hadn't heard from him since last summer.

"Hey!" I answer.

"Hey, Kyra. You still in Baltimore or are you at camp already?" he asks.

"I'm still in Baltimore. School doesn't get out till Tuesday and graduation is on Thursday, so I'm not leaving for camp until the first. Why?" I ask.

"I was wondering if you wanted to meet up. I recently transferred to John Hopkins University." he says.

"Really? That would be great! I haven't seen you in forever. Where did you want to meet?" I ask.

"Oh, I found this great café the other day while I was wandering around town." he says, sounding excited.

"Oh yea? What is it?" I ask. I knew just about every café and diner in the downtown area.

"Charmington's. It's the perfect little café to catch up and talk." he says.

"Oh." I say, my voice small.

"Something wrong?" he asks, noticing the tone change in my voice.

"Nothing. That would be wonderful, when do you want to meet?" I ask.

"Tonight at six? I'll get you a coffee." he says.

"Perfect! I'll see you then." I say, then hang up.

"Who was that?" Nico asks, turning to look at me.

"Will. He wants to meet at Charmington's tonight." I say.

"Charmington's? Isn't that the place where your mom met Apollo?" he asks.

"Yea." I say, feeling like all my emotions were about to explode.

**A/N:**

**Ooooh. A meetup with Will! Why do you guys think he transferred? You'll find out in the next chapter!**

**So, how has everyone's day been so far? I went to class this morning and then walked down to a coffee shop with two of my friends afterwords. Then I came home and had pizza for lunch. God, I love pizza. And I think in a few minutes I'm going shopping with my friend... Soooo, if I don't reply to you guy's reviews and/or PMs, it's because I'm out doing that. I'll make sure to reply to any later on tonight though! **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Did you want to come with me?" I ask Nico.

We had gotten home from the mall about two hours ago and eaten dinner already. I had called a taxi earlier and it had just gotten here. I would have walked, but to walk all the way to Charmington's from here would have taken about an hour and a half.

"Nah. I'm going to stay here and chill out. I'm still kinda drained from earlier." he says.

"From battling Eurynomus?" I ask, tying the laces on my hi-tops.

"No, the shopping." he says.

I roll my eyes at him then stand up. I kiss him and then grab my backpack and head towards the door.

"Lucas leaves in about an hour to go back to work but he might get called in sooner. I'll call the house if I need you." I say, opening the front door.

"Okay. See you later tonight." he says.

* * *

"Kyra! Over here!" someone calls to me.

I turn my back on the cashier, having just paid her for a caramel mocha, to see Will waving at me from one of the small tables in the corner.

I walk over and sit down across from him. He smiles warmly and I smile back.

"So, how have you been?" he asks.

I sigh and look up at the ceiling. Gods, I'd have to go through this whole ordeal of telling the story, yet again. I start from the very beginning of last summer. I hadn't told Will any of this over the phone so he was completely clueless as to what all had happened.

Like everyone else that I had told the story to, he was completely speechless and wide-eyed when I was finished.

"How have you been holding up? Are the scars still there?" he asks.

I show him my arm. There was only one remaining scar and it was very faded. I didn't believe I deserved them anymore, yet one was still there.

Maybe it was just a small reminder from Apollo of what I had done to myself. Reminding me of the emotional pain I had been in at the time and telling me to stay away from that road and never look back.

"Whoa. Ky, I'm so sorry." he says, leaning back in his chair.

"Enough about me. What have you been up to?" I ask, wanting to change the subject. I didn't want to talk about John or my mom anymore, fearing that if I did, I'd have a breakdown.

"Well, I'm sure you're wondering why I transferred." he says.

"Yea, I am." I say.

"Well, let's just say there was this incident where one of the students ended up with an arrow sticking out of his shoulder because someone thought he was a monster." he says, looking into his coffee cup.

"You did not!" I say, leaning forward and my eyes widening.

"I did." he groans.

I chuckle and say, "I'm surprised you just got transferred and not arrested."

"Oh, they were close to arresting me. I was able to convince them that it had been a mistake though." he says.

"How did you manage that?" I ask, sipping my coffee.

"I told them that I had been practicing archery and the arrow had accidentally missed it's target." he says.

"I can't believe they bought that!" I say.

"I know! I was surprised that the Mist hadn't covered up the arrow and made it look like something else. I guess I'm lucky it didn't." he says, shrugging.

"So how was everything else at camp?" he asks.

"Good. Danielle was dating Connor last year though." I say, making a face.

"Connor? Why in Hades would she want to date _Connor_?" he asks, the disbelief evident in his voice.

I shrug. "I have no clue. I don't know if they're still dating. Actually, last summer was the Stolls' last year there." I say, grinning.

"I would have loved to have seen the day where they weren't there." he says.

"I admit, I _am_ going to miss them… Just a tad." I say.

"I'm sure it will be nice for a couple of weeks then it will get boring because the world's best pranksters aren't there anymore." he says.

"Exactly." I say, nodding.

I look at the clock on the wall to see that it was almost eight-thirty. I drink the last bit of my coffee then stand up.

"I need to get going. We should do this more often now that you're in town." I say.

"Definitely." he says, hugging me.

"I'll see you later, Will." I say, heading out the door.

"Later, Ky." he says.

* * *

I had decided to walk down to the closest Starbucks, about fifteen minutes away on foot, and get a couple of pastries for Nico and I for breakfast tomorrow morning.

As I pass the Baltimore Museum of Art, I see a shadow out of the corner of my eye and a flash of bright blue. I slow down my pace and look over at the vacant parking lot.

I didn't see anyone so I kept going, walking a bit faster now.

When I pass Carma's Café, I see a figure in the alley. I stop and look down the alley. I walk closer, trying to see who it is.

When I get close enough, I see a man, tall and lanky, leaning against the brick wall. He looked to be in his mid to late teens. He was wearing ripped jeans, a baggy, plaid button up, and a pair of white Converse so dirty, they looked gray. His skin was pale and his hair was dyed electric blue and spiked up in a punk-like style.

He looks up at me and I could have sworn his eyes grew a bit wider.

"Can I help you?" he asks.

"Have you been following me?" I ask.

"No." he says.

"Are you positive about that?" I question, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sure." he says, giving me an odd look.

"Really? Because I could have sworn I saw you just a few minutes ago outside the Art Museum and then hiding behind the trees." I say.

"Must have been someone else because I've been right here for the past twenty minutes." he says.

"Mm-hmm." I say, staring at the punk.

"Okay, tell me who you really are." I say, crossing my arms.

He sighs and looks up, probably wondering, "Why me, of all people?"

"You're not going to leave me alone until you get something out of me, are you?" he asks.

I nod.

"Hold on." he sighs.

He begins to glow, very brightly. I look away, realizing that he was, in fact, a god of some sort.

The glow fades away and I look back to where the punk had been. Standing there was the man from the mall earlier today, except he was now wearing a US Air Force uniform instead of the black suit.

"You!" I say, pointing a finger at him.

"Yes. Me." he says.

"Who the Hades are you?!" I ask.

He sighs again and says, "I am Leonas, Greek _and_ Roman god of imagination. Though, I prefer to be called Walker. I'm only called Leonas on Olympus." he says.

"Okay. Now I know who you are. Now, why have you been following me?" I ask.

"A favor to your father." he says.

"Lucas?" I ask, confused.

"No, not him. Apollo." he says, rolling his eyes.

"But, why would Apollo want you to follow me?" I ask.

"To try and keep you safe, of course." he says, as if this should have been obvious.

"Safe from _what_, exactly?" I ask.

Walker groans and smacks the back of his head against the wall he was leaning against.

"Callie." he says.

"Why? Is she here?" I ask, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

"Not from what I've found. Actually, I haven't found any trace of her in Baltimore. Apollo just wants me to keep you safe and he trusts that I'll do so." he says.

"Oh." I say.

"You were the one who killed those donestre, weren't you?" I ask.

"Yea. You obviously weren't able to defend yourself. They would have killed you otherwise." he says.

"So, do you like, watch me _all_ the time?" I ask, feeling a little weirded out, walking out of the alley with Walker behind me.

"Good gracious. No, child." he says, looking horrified at even the thought of what I had been suggesting.

I give a sigh of relief and say, "Well, would you like to walk down to Starbucks with me?"

"Sure." he says.

"Oh, and by the way, just call me Kyra." I say.

**A/N:**

**And the mystery man is revealed! Thank you sooooo much, Star Holder Commander, for letting me use Walker/Leonas! He is going to fit in quite well, I believe.**

**So what did you guys think about Will's reason for transferring colleges? I could just see that happening. Thinking that someone is a monster and firing at them with your bow and arrows and then having it turn out that the person actually isn't a monster.**

**Man, I was getting so frustrated the other night. I was trying to put the soundtrack for "Repo! The Genetic Opera" on my iPod and the ONLY song it refused to put on there was "Zydrate Anatomy", which is my FAVORITE song throughout the whole movie and soundtrack! I finally got it straightened out yesterday though, so it's all good now.**

**I'm sooooo happy today! My mom gets back tonight! She's riding home with two of her friends and me and my dad are meeting up with them at a Shoney's because my mom doesn't have her car. But, they're getting back around midnight, so I'll most likely be trying to not fall asleep... I have a feeling that I'll be listening to my music so I can try and stay awake...**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

It was around 9:15 when I opened the door. I find Nico sprawled out on the couch, sound asleep. The TV was on, but turned down low. Most of the lights were off with an exception for the small lamp on the table beside the couch.

I walk into the kitchen and put the cheese danish and the slice of lemon pound cake I had gotten in the refrigerator. Then I go back into the living room and drop my bag on the chair and kick my shoes off. I sit down next to Nico. He stirs and turns over but doesn't wake.

I grab the blanket off the armrest of the couch, where I had left it last night, and unfold it. I lay down next to Nico and spread the blanket over us.

He turns back over again, mumbling something inaudible, and throws an arm over me. I sigh and close my eyes, quickly falling into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

_Screams are all around me and it sounds as if there's a fire alarm going off. It feels like I'm laying on the floor. I squint open my eyes only to see that everything is blurry. I feel dazed and confused._

_It felt like I was in a large room, the floor beneath me felt cold and slick, like a gym floor._

_There were flashes of colors rushing past me. I finally come to the conclusion that these "colors" were people. My vision was still blurry and it seemed to be getting worse._

_I hear laughter. An insane type of laughter. One I recognized. It sounded like Callie._

_Just as I get to my feet, I feel something, or some_one_, tackle me to the ground, knocking the air right out of my lungs._

* * *

I sit up, gasping for breath. The whole left side of my body felt like something was trying to pry it's way free from under my skin.

I look around to see I'm in my room. This was weird because I remember falling asleep on the couch next to Nico. Then I look and see my balcony doors are open.

I slide out of bed and over to the doors. Nico was out there, yet again. This seemed to be his favorite place to be when he couldn't sleep.

"Hey, did I wake you up?" he asks, turning around to look at me.

"No, a dream." I say, gazing up at the stars.

"Bad dream?" he asks.

"I couldn't quite tell. I mean, there were people screaming and it also sounded like Callie was laughing… But my vision was blurred and I felt disoriented." I say.

"Hmm. Weird." he says.

"Yea. Oh, how exactly did I get up here?" I ask.

"I carried you." he says.

"You _carried_ me?" I ask, a bit surprised.

"Yea. Didn't we have a conversation similar to this one a couple of years ago when we were in the Underworld?" he asks.

"Yes, we did. And if I recall correctly, you said you'd sing to me sometime." I say, a smile playing on my lips.

"I-I don't recall that." he says.

I smack his arm and say, "Well, you did."

He chuckles and I start laughing too. He comes closer to me and wraps his arms around me.

* * *

Nico and I had come back inside a while ago. We had just been laying on top of my bed, talking. Nothing specific, just random stuff.

"So, how was Will?" he asks after a while.

"Hmm? Oh, he was fine. The reason why he transferred is pretty funny." I say, giggling.

"Oh yea? What happened?" he asks, turning over on his side to look at me.

"He shot another student with an arrow because he thought he was a monster." I say, my giggles increasing.

"How in Hades did he not get arrested?!" he asks, bewildered.

"He almost did. He told the cops that he had been practicing archery and missed his target. Apparently the Mist didn't cloak the arrow to look like something else." I say.

"That's odd." he says.

"Yea, it is." I say, yawning.

"Oh, and something else." I say.

"Yea?" he asks.

"The god Leonas is following me as a favor to Apollo." I say.

"What?" Nico asks, sitting up and looking at me.

I begin to tell him about Walker, and seeing him at the mall earlier today. And then finding him following me on my way to Starbucks a few hours later.

"I'm not sure about this, Kyra." he says, an uneasy tone in his voice.

"What do you mean? He seemed fine to me." I say.

"Never mind. It's nothing." he says, still sounding bothered, laying back down.

"You must really mean something to Apollo though if he's having another god follow you around to make sure you stay safe." he says.

"Either that or I play an important part in the future." I say, still not quite sure why Nico seemed so bothered by the subject.

"We all have important parts, Kyra." Nico says.

"I guess you're right." I say.

I turn over and bundle under the covers. Nico moves closer to me and lays an arm over me. We fall asleep again in an instant.

**A/N:**

**What do you guys think Kyra's dream is about? And why do you think Nico is a bit wary of Walker?**

**Man, I haven't hardly written anything at all this week! But there's no need to worry. I have a rather large back-stock of chapters for this story. ****It's not that I have writers block, I've just been so busy and by the time I actually have time to write, I'm too tired to do it. **

**Part of this is because I've been taking a 4-day fashion design class up at the studio since Tuesday. Yesterday was the last day and we got to pick up our stuff today! Omg, I made two MCR shirts and they are so fucking awesome! They're one of a kind, so no one else on the entire planet has one like them!**

**Well, today we had studio clean up and it didn't take nearly as long as it did last time because those two idiot bothers weren't there! We actually got done about 20 minutes early!**

**So, on Monday I'm getting my hair cut reeeeeeally short! I'm kind nervous because I'm not sure how it's going to look, but I think it will be fine. I'm really excited because my mom gave me permission to dye my hair cheery red or electric blue! Just as long as I don't keep it that color forever, which I won't because I'd get bored of red or blue hair.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of my phone's alarm going off. I yawn and reach over, turning it off. I sit up and stretch.

Nico was curled up beside me, completely lost in dreamland. Early morning sunlight was pouring through my bay window and the balcony doors.

I get out of bed and walk over to the doors. As I get closer, I notice something taped to the outside of one of the doors. I peer at it and see it's a note.

I unlock it and then fling open the door and rip the note off. I quickly open it and read it. My blood felt like it had turned to ice.

Written in big, red letters across the paper was, "I'LL SEE YOU SOON".

I rush over to Nico and shake him awake.

"Wha-?" he says, sitting up and looking around, dazed.

"Nico. Look. This was taped to the door." I say, shoving the note into his hands.

He reads it and then looks up at me, his eyes huge. He was obviously quite awake now.

"You should stay home today." he says.

"I can't. We're taking some finals today and I can't miss them." I say, feeling panicked.

"Then I'll come with you." he says, hopping out of bed and crumpling up the note.

He tosses it into the wastebasket and then opens up his backpack, pulling out some clean clothes. He had gone back to the Underworld yesterday while I had been with Will and gotten some of his things.

"Nico, you don't-" I start but he cuts me off.

"No. I almost lost you once. I'm not letting it happen again." he says, staring at me.

We look at each other for a few seconds, green eyes meeting dark brown ones. Finally, I sigh and nod in defeat.

"Okay then. Go get ready." he says.

"Fine." I grumble.

I stalk over to my dresser and pull out a red v-neck tee shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. I look at Nico before I go into the bathroom to change. He waves me on and I turn around and head into the bathroom.

Today was definitely going to be interesting.

**A/N:**

**Short little chapter. Who do you think wrote the note? Callie or someone else associated with her? Hmmmm. Do you guys think I should upload the next chapter? Never mind. That was a stupid question.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Okay, how about this. We say you're Lucas's old friend's son from Wales and that you're here to see what America is like." I say, glancing at Nico.

We were downstairs and about to shadow travel to my school. I was really nervous about this.

"_Wales_? _Really_?" he asks, giving me a skeptical look.

"Yes, really. And we'll say you don't speak much English so that way, hopefully, not many people will try to talk to you." I say.

Nico sighs and rolls his eyes. "Fine. Wales it is." he says.

"Good. Okay, I'm ready." I say.

He takes my hand and we dive into a shadow. The familiar chill of the shadows sort of comforted me but that didn't last long.

* * *

We ended up inside the janitor's closet. Oh, what a scene _that_ would make if someone saw us coming out of here. Thankfully though, the hallway was deserted.

Nico and I came out and started walking to my first class; Math. I had a final there today that I was _not_ looking forward to.

When we walked in, I realized that most everybody was there. All eyes turned on Nico and I, as if we had just murdered ten people.

"Ms. Hale. You're late. Who is this young man?" my teacher, Mr. Roulings, asks.

"Oh. Um, this is my dad's friend's son, Dai. He's from Wales so he doesn't speak hardly any English." I say.

"Your dad's friend's son who's from Wales?" Mr. Roulings asks, arching an eyebrow.

"Erm, yes." I say.

"I see. Well, take a seat. Make sure Dai here doesn't cause too much of a disturbance." he says.

"Yes sir." I say, walking to my seat at the back of the room.

As Nico and I walk toward the two empty desks in the back, I could feel all the cheerleaders' eyes on Nico, most likely checking him out. The thought of that made me bristle with anger.

The tests are passed down and I get mine. I glance at the first question and give a mental sigh of relief. I knew the answer to it. Usually when I know the answer to the first question, there's a pretty good chance that I'll know the rest of the answers.

"Okay class. You have forty-five minutes to complete your test. When you're done, place the test on my desk and then you may leave." Mr. Roulings says.

"Begin now." he says, sitting down at his desk.

I start working at it, thinking about the answers for maybe a minute before answering them. I was finished with most of the test within thirty minutes. I knew most of the class probably hated me right now because I was almost done.

I finish the last three problems in about five minutes and then flip the paper over, making sure there wasn't anything else on the back.

Stuck to the back of the paper was a hot pink sticky note. On it says, "She's coming soon."

I quickly rip the note off and crumple it up in a ball. I get up from my desk, grabbing my backpack and slinging it over my shoulder, holding the test in one hand and the crumpled note in the other. Nico gets up and follows me to the front of the classroom.

I place the test in the small, rectangular basket at the edge of Mr. Roulings' desk and then exit the room, feeling the eyes of every student burning into the back of my head.

* * *

The next three hours went about like that, except I didn't receive any more notes, thank the gods.

When I had shown Nico the note, he had insisted on leaving the school right that instant. I had told him no, because if I didn't take these tests, I would not graduate and that would result in living through yet another year of hell. I was not willing to do that, not even if it meant possibly getting away from a minion of Callie's.

So, for the remainder of the time that we were in the building, we were both on full-alert, ready for an attack if one happened to come.

Thankfully though, none did. I quickly and efficiently got through with the rest of my tests I had that day and Nico and I were able to leave the school early.

* * *

"What do you think she's planning?" Nico asks.

We were back at the house, just finishing a lunch of turkey and cheese sandwiches. Lucas was at home as well, but he was asleep. I guess if you were a surgeon constantly on call, you'd be a tad sleep deprived.

"I'm not sure. You know, I wonder if Drew and Daemon are still alive and with her.." I say, plopping down on the couch.

"I always knew those two weren't any good. I mean, Drew I just thought was a lazy bitch, I never really thought she'd team up with monsters. Daemon, on the other hand, he just had this thing about him. He seemed like the kind of guy who just liked to watch people whither in pain." Nico says, shaking his head in disgust.

"Well, I know from experience that he likes to watch people in pain." I grumble.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you ever since you told me about what he did to you." he says, taking my hand.

"What?" I ask.

"How could you have let me touch you? I mean, usually people who have been raped won't let a person near them for a long time after something like that happens. Why did you let me?" he asks.

"I feel safe with you. I knew I didn't have to worry if you were the one touching me. I knew that if I told you to stop, you would have." I say.

"Also, how did you act so normal? Like, I don't know, you just seemed like your normal self. How did you manage to act like that when just a couple of hours prior you lived a nightmare?" he asks.

"I know it's stupid, but I didn't want to draw any attention to myself. I guess I just didn't want anyone to think I was weak because I had been overpowered." I say, shrugging and looking down at my hands.

"No one would have thought that. Daemon was twice your size." he says, putting a finger under my chin and making me look up at him.

"Gods, I love you." he says.

I smile and say, "I'm quite aware of this, Mr. di Angelo."

"'Mr. di Angelo?'" he asks, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes. You _are_ Mr. di Angelo, if I'm not mistaken." I say.

"Well, I suppose you're right." he says, grinning.

He leans closer to me and kisses my temple. We sit back and watch reruns of That 70's Show for the rest of the afternoon, in peaceful silence.

**A/N:**

**Yes, yes. I know. A bit fluffy there at the end. I like it though. What do you guys think is going to happen next? And who do you think stuck that note to the back of Kyra's exam?**

**So, yesterday I got my hair cut reeeeally short and it's now dyed a bright cherry red! I'm in love with it! The next color I plan of dying it is blue. I'm not sure if I'm going to do an electric blue or a dark, royal blue...**

**My mom has told me three times, (yes, ****_three_****) that I only have this year to dye it crazy colors. Because next year, I'll be getting a job somewhere and it's very doubtful that, where I live, someone would hire me with an unnatural hair color. Apparently it gives the wrong impression and usually makes the person in consideration come off as "radical" and/or "untrustworthy". I myself don't see a problem with hiring someone who likes to do fun stuff with their hair, but that's just me.**

**Oh, and I forgot to tell you guys in Saturday's A/N. My brother is going in for a job interview in a couple of days at a place like ten minutes away from where I live! The place really needs more employees in his profession so hopefully he'll get the job. It would only be part-time though because they don't have any full-time positions currently available. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

I had dozed off on the couch and was awoken by a loud banging. I squint open my eyes to see Nico looking over his shoulder and at the front door.

I stretch and get up, walking over to the door. I unlock it and open it up. Mo was standing there, looking panicked.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Prom. That's what. I'm freaking out, Ky. I'm freaking out." he says, pushing past me and plopping down next to Nico on the couch.

"Alright." I say, closing the door and strolling back over to the couch.

"Why are you freaking out about prom?" I ask, sitting in between the two of them.

"Gwen." he says.

"Who's Gwen?" Nico asks.

"His date. What's wrong with her?" I ask.

"She won't stop calling me, for one. She goes on and on about how I have to pick her up at a specific time, and how we have to go to Wayman Park to take a bazillion pictures, and also how I need to go pick up these "special" corsages that she ordered two weeks ago because she doesn't have time to. She's driving me crazy!" he says, running his fingers through his curly black hair.

"Yeesh. She sounds like a handful." Nico says.

"Yea, sounds like she's just a bit too uptight about this whole thing." I say.

"What should I do?" he asks, leaning his head back and looking up at the crystal bubble chandelier.

"Dude, just tell her to chill out. That stuff isn't _that_ important." Nico says.

"Do _not_ tell her that." I say.

"Why not? It sounds perfectly reasonable to me." Mo says.

"Do you want to die at the hands of a seventeen year old girl?" I ask.

"Not particularly." he says.

"Okay, then don't tell her to chill out. Just try and keep your cool with her. Just think, you won't have to see her at all after graduation on Thursday." I say.

"That's true." he says.

"Did you know she would freak out this much about everything?" Nico asks.

"I knew she would get a bit frazzled, but not like this." he says.

"Then why did you ask her to prom?" Nico asks.

"I didn't. She asked _me_. I would have felt bad if I had said no because she's the kind of girl that no other guy would have asked or said yes to." he says.

"Is she ugly or something?" Nico asks.

"Nico!" I say, smacking his arm.

"Nah, she's not. She's just a sort of control freak, I guess you'd say." Mo says.

We all sit there for a while, lost in our thoughts or watching the TV.

"Hey, do you want to eat with us tonight?" I ask.

"I would, but as I said, I have to go pick up the stupid corsages." he grumbles, standing up.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck with Gwen." I say.

"Nemesis, help me." he says, looking up then closing the door behind him.

**A/N:**

**"Nemesis, help me." I think that's my favorite line throughout this whole chapter. This one isn't one of my favorites, a sort of filler chapter. A little more happens in 17, more interesting I guess you would say.**

**Yes, I know. I'm a few hours later on updating than I normally would. We didn't have class today so my parents and I went to this art museum and then on this art loop thing and I just got back home a bit ago. **

**How has everyone's week been? Mine was pretty boring. School, hanging out at home... Watching YouTube videos for hours on end... Yea.. That's pretty much all I did this week. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Did I hear Mo out here?" Lucas asks, coming out of his bedroom and heading into the kitchen.

"Yea, he just left. He was freaking out about prom stuff that his date is making him do." I say.

"He should just tell her to chill out." Lucas says.

"Why does every guy think that telling a girl to "chill out" is a good idea? It only makes things worse!" I say.

"So, what do you guys want for dinner?" he asks.

"Pizza?" I ask, turning around on the couch to look at him.

"Sounds good. Pizza Boli's?" he asks, picking up the house phone to call in our order.

"Yea." I say, turning back around and leaning against Nico again.

"Pizza Boli's?" Nico asks.

"It's pretty much just the best pizza place on the planet." I say.

"Really? What happened to Le chef Pizza?" he asks, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh, they got shut down. Apparently they got a really low score from the health inspector." I say.

"Ah. That's a comforting thought, considering I _ate_ there." he says.

"Hey, they had a good score when we went! Do you seriously think I would take you to a place with bad sanitariness?"

"Sanitariness? Is that even a word?" he asks.

"Yes, it is." I say.

"Well, you learn something new every day." he says.

* * *

"So, what did you and Walker talk about yesterday?" Nico asks.

"He asked me if I had seen any signs of Callie since last year. I haven't, and I told him that." I say.

"What else did he ask?" Nico says.

"Nothing much really. He wanted to know if I had had any other monster encounters before the donestre a few days ago at the hospital." I say.

"Anything else?" he asks.

"No. I had gotten my order by then and was headed home. Why so interested?" I ask, turning to look at him.

"No reason." he says, avoiding eye contact.

"I don't think so. There's definitely a reason. And why did you seem so bothered when I told you Walker was watching me?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"It's nothing, Ky. Just let it go." he says, taking my hand and meeting my eyes.

I sigh. "Fine. You know I'll find out eventually though." I say.

"Yea, yea." he says, rolling his eyes and smirking.

* * *

It was almost ten o'clock. Lucas had left a couple of hours ago for work. Nico and I had gotten bored of watching TV and started getting a bit jittery from pent-up energy.

So, what did we do? We started dancing. Yes, I know. _Dancing_. I had docked my iPod and just put it on shuffle. We've just been dancing all around the house together, not a care in the world.

About thirty minutes into our little "dance frenzy", I hear a loud banging on the front door. I turn down the music and cautiously make my way over to the door.

Nico was right behind me, his sword in his hand. My hand was hovering just above my sun pendant, ready to be transformed into my bow and arrows at a moments notice.

I fling open the door to find a young man standing there. It's dark so I can't really make out what he looks like. It was pouring outside and he was soaked, that I could tell.

"May I come in?" he asks.

"Uh.." I say, looking back at Nico.

He raises his eyebrows and shrugs.

"Um, do I know you?" I ask the stranger.

"Yes. We met the other day in an alley." he says.

I realized who this person was. It was Walker.

I step back and let him in. Then I close the door and lock it once again and turn back to Walker.

"Have you found something on Callie?" I ask.

He starts to glow and change to his given form. His clothes change, as well as his appearance, morphing into the US Air Force uniform he had been wearing yesterday. I notice that it's adorned with several gleaming medals.

"Sort of." Walker replies.

"I was asking some dryads around the parks here, seeing if they've seen Callie around. None of them have, but a couple did say that they've overheard some monsters talking about some sort of party. Apparently it's huge and something bad is going to happen there. I asked if they knew when this party was and one of them told me they had heard it was tomorrow night." he says.

"So we're going off of what dryads say now?" I ask, skeptical.

"It's the best source of information we've got right now." he says, shrugging.

"Well, alright. What are you going to do now? Search all of Baltimore tomorrow for parties and see which one she's at?" I ask.

"No. I'm going to be protecting you. What are your plans for tomorrow?" he asks.

"I've got some more finals and then in the evening Nico and I are going to my senior prom." I say.

"Okay. I'm going to be around the high school then, keeping an eye on you." he says.

I was about to say something, but a yawn interrupts me.

"You should probably get some sleep. I'll stay down here and make sure no one tries to get into the house." he says.

"Walker, do you seriously think someone is going to try and break in?" I ask, turning away from the stairs to look at him.

"If my suspicions are true and Callie _is_ in Baltimore, I want to make sure you're safe. I promised Apollo I'd keep you safe. A promise is a promise." he says.

**A/N:**

**Nico, Nico, Nico. You would think he'd know after four years of dating Kyra that she eventually finds the truth and it's best to just confess when she asks you the first time. Otherwise, you could end up getting sever injuries. Boys. They never learn.**

**So, Sunday I went to see The Lone Ranger with my parents (amazing movie, by the way) but, we had to stand in line for fifteen minutes because they wouldn't let us back just yet. So, I'm just standing there, playing around on my phone, trying to pass the time, when I notice this guy walk past me. He looked to be about my age, maybe a year older, and he looked like a punk. **

**I didn't think much of him until he was walking back to his movie and as he passed me he said, "Cool hair" to me. Okay, honestly, I was freaking the fuck out. The guy was pretty cute and this sort of thing just ****_doesn't _****happen to me. Never, have I had a cute guy complement me on my hair. Especially not a punk. **

**THEN, while I was in the movie, waiting for it to start, a guy walked past me and oh my god, he looked like Mikey Way from the "Revenge" era. That brought on a bit of fangirling... Okay, ****_a lot _****of fangirling!**

**A couple of hours later, after the movie, my mom and I stopped to get some dinner to take home and I was thinking about the little situation with the punk guy who complemented my hair. Then, it hit me. THE GUY LOOKED EXACTLY HOW I PICTURE NICO! The only thing was that his hair was a bit longer than I picture Nico's, that was the ****_only thing. _****But seriously, he was tallish, skinny, pale, dark hair, dark eyes. Just-oh my gods. You wouldn't even imagine the fangirl attack I had when I came to the realization that I just kinda-sorta met (more like ****_saw) _****a real life Nico di Angelo. Oh my gods, guys, I need to find that guy and just become friends with him. That would be epic!**

**Oh, so guess what today is! I'll give you a hint, it's the day a certain young author came into this world. A day the gods rejoiced because they had one last hope for humanity! Lol, just kidding. Any guesses? No? Alright. TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! Yes! I'm now officially 15! I couldn't ask for better readers, seriously, you guys are awesome! :)**

**I love you all and I hope everyone has an excellent day! Sorry for the extremely long A/N. I just ****_had _****to tell you guys about real life Nico. It was too exciting to keep to myself :) **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"So, are you coming to school with me again tomorrow?" I ask, coming out of the bathroom.

"Nah. I think you'll be able to protect yourself. I need to get some things tomorrow. I'll be back here when you get back from school though." Nico says, laying on the bed with his hands behind his head.

"What things do you have to get?" I ask, getting into the bed and under the blanket.

"Just, things." he says.

"I see." I say, turning over on my side, facing away from him.

"Aw, Ky. Don't get mad. What I'm getting is a surprise." he says, turning over and draping an arm over me.

"Fine. If you say so." I say, yawning.

"I promise." he says.

* * *

_My hearing is slightly distorted but I can make out laughter. An insane type of laughter. One I recognized. It sounded like Callie._

_Just as I get to my feet, I feel something, or some_one_, tackle me to the ground, knocking the air right out of my lungs._

_I gasp, trying to regain my breath. I open my eyes and see that I can't really _see_ anything. Everything was blurred to the point of all the colors around me blending together._

_I glance down and make out a dark shape beside me. I reach out and feel that it's a person. I also feel a long, thin object sticking out of their chest._

_The person grips my hands tightly and whispers, "You're safe."_

* * *

I scream, sitting straight up in bed. Nico bolts up and looks around. Then he sees me, curled up and rocking back and forth slightly.

"Ky, what's wrong?" he asks, placing a hand on my arm.

"He's going to die." I say, burying my face in my knees.

"Who's going to die?" he asks, the concern evident in his voice.

I don't answer. I could remember the voice. My hearing had been distorted in the dream, so the person of the voice sounded slightly older than he is now. But I knew for sure who it was.

"Did you have a dream about it?" he asks, wrapping his arms around me.

I nod, feeling as if my voice had stopped working altogether.

"You know that sometimes nightmares are just nightmares, Ky." he says.

"I don't think so. It seemed so real." I whisper.

"Well, we can't do much about it right now. The best thing to do is go back to sleep." he says.

I sigh. "I guess you're right." I say, laying back down.

**A/N:**

**SURPRISE UPDATE! I haven't done one in quite a while and you guys are just so awesome that I thought you deserved one! That and I thought it was a bit harsh to just give you guys this tomorrow after about a week of waiting. Tomorrow's chapter is a bit longer..**

**So, thank you everyone who wished me happy birthday on Tuesday! I felt so loved! :)**

**I had a pretty good day, even though it was low-key. Which is perfectly fine with me. I don't really like doing extravagant things for my birthday. I don't know why, I just don't. Anyway, after I updated, my parents and I when to my favorite Chinese restaurant for lunch (delicious!) and then we came home and my dad went to work a couple of hours later. Then, my mom and I had to run to errands. Later that night, my brother and sister-in-law came over for dinner and cake. Overall, it was a pretty good day. **

**Okay, so I need you guys to do me a favor. My sister (actually, half-sister. It's just easier to say sister) and her husband and two kids are coming to stay at my house on Monday and they're staying till Saturday. I could reeeeeally use some good vibes starting Monday and going through Saturday. I know, I sound like I'm being a jerk and over reacting about this, but I'm not. **

**Let me tell you a bit about them. They're all obnoxious and loud. Usually when they come, they just want to laze around the house and watch TV. That's it. And when we DO manage to talk them into doing something, it takes them about two hours to get ready and finally out of the house. THEN it takes at least another thirty minutes to leave the driveway because as soon as we start to back out, one of them has forgotten something and has to run back in to the house and grab it. **

**My sister can stay in her pajamas till 1 in the afternoon and just sits on the couch crocheting and watching Judge Judy or Dr. Phil. And is the kids so much as TALK she yells at them because she "can't hear the TV".**

**My brother-in-law is EXTREMELY obnoxious and doesn't know when to stop talking about a subject. He also makes awful jokes and puns that no one understands. Also, I can 100% guarantee that when he sees my hair and it's current color, he's going to flip the fuck out and start asking me why the hell I did it. Now, my dad has already told me that he'll let him ask me for a bit after they arrive, but he'll make him drop the subject before it's over done and I loose my temper.**

**Now, my niece is almost 14 and I guess she's alright. She's not quite as annoying as she was a few years ago. But, my sister will most likely try to talk me and my mom into allowing her into sleeping in my room with me. No. Just no. The reason why, she HAS to have one of those sound machines going on full blast at all hours of the night while she's sleeping and she chatters non-stop on top of that thing going off. **

**I also told my mom that I would most likely give her nightmares... No joke. Considering that I blast reeeally hard rock/punk music and also a bit of screamo till about 1 o'clock in the morning and also the freaky horror stuff I watch on YouTube, she wouldn't get a wink of sleep. Also, you know if you stay up really late and you sorta just start feeling insane and start laughing or crying or something? Yea, I do that pretty much every night. I'll just be sitting in my bed, writing or doing something else on my computer and just burst out laughing. If the other stuff wouldn't give her nightmares, that most definitely would.**

**Now, for the last and smallest member, my nephew. He's almost eight and SUPER ADHD. His pediatrician claims he doesn't have it but that child can't stay still to save his life and he constantly has to be talking. My other sister informed my dad the other day that if we have ANY sweets in the house, DO NOT give them to him. If he has a bit he'll want more and if you deny him, he gets aggressive about it. And his parents don't do a fucking thing about it!**

**So, now you see why I NEED you guys to send me good vibes and chide me along to not strangle, cuss out, or flip off any of them while they're here. **

**Wow, that was a really long A/N... Sorry if you guys got a bit bored while reading it. I'm just gonna-yea, I'll go now.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Hey, Kyra!" a whiny voice calls to me.

I turn around in the hallway to see several of the popular girls coming my way. They looked like clones with their similar designer clothes, their long, straight hair, and make-up plastered faces.

"What?" I ask, stopping and placing a hand on my hip.

"Where's your Welsh friend?" one of them asks. Her name was Ashley. She was the leader of the group, the sluttiest of the slutty.

"He stayed at the house today, wasn't feeling well." I say.

"Oh. Well, when you see him, give him this." Ashley says, handing me a small piece of paper.

"Mm-hmm." I say, stiffly taking the paper and shoving it into my jeans pocket.

There was no way in Hades I was giving that to Nico.

Ashley and her cronies saunter past me and to their next class. I stand there, fuming. I take the paper out of my pocket and open it up. Just as I had thought, Ashley's number was written on there.

I tear the paper up into several pieces and then toss it into the closest trash can.

I quickly make my way to my next, and final, class. Thank the gods today is the last day of school. I wouldn't have to see any of these people again until Thursday when we graduate. After that, I'd never have to see them again.

* * *

"Kyra!" someone says behind me.

I turn away from the school doors to see Mo coming towards me. I smile and stop, waiting for him.

He catches up to me, his violet eyes bright and a grin lighting up his face. He slings an arm over my shoulders and pushes the door open.

"I'm so happy that we're done. No more tests, no more mean teachers, no more anything school related." he says, grinning.

"What about college?" I ask.

I wasn't planning on going, seeing as I had already been offered a space in Anne Marie's studio for this fall. She said that she would be happy to have me there as a new and young artist. Sure, I would probably go to college eventually, but I needed a break from school.

Mo though, he had been planning on going. He still wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he had wanted to go.

"I'm not quite sure. I feel burned out, you know? I think I might wait till next year, then go." he says.

"Yea." I say.

"Hey, what's wrong? I would have thought that you'd be bursting with excitement, considering we leave for camp in a few days and also about AM hiring you up at the studio this fall." he says.

"Just tired, I guess. I didn't get much sleep last night." I say.

The dream I had had last night was troubling me. The frustrating thing was, I couldn't remember what the voice had sounded like. I know that it was someone close to me, but I can't remember who.

"Ah. Oh, what time were you and Nico planning on coming to prom tonight?" he asks.

"I'm not sure. It starts at six-thirty, right?" I ask.

He nods.

"I guess about seven-thirty or so." I say.

"Lucky. Gwen wants to be here when the doors open. She also said that she wants me at her house an hour before we leave." he says, rolling his eyes.

"For pictures?" I ask.

"Yea. Remind me to block her number on my phone after tonight. I never want to talk to her again." he says.

"Will do." I say.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tonight." he says.

"See ya." I say.

We part ways and start heading to our separate homes. As I try and stop a taxi, I see him walking away, looking down at his phone and shaking his head, a look of annoyance on his face. I can probably guess with accuracy that it's Gwen bugging him about arrangements for tonight. That girl is definitely controlling.

**A/N:**

**Poor, poor Mo. It would drive me insane to have someone that controlling making me do stuff. And I just had a to have a slut asking Kyra to give her number to Nico, I couldn't resist! The next chapter is cute and funny. We're getting closer and closer to prom guys!**

**So, how has everyone's day been so far? I went to class this morning and then my mom picked me up and we came home. Now we're currently watching Batman Returns. It's sooooo good!**

**Thank you all very much for the good vibes! I was in a much better mood last night than I had been earlier in the day :)**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"I'm home!" I call when I walk in.

"Upstairs!" I hear Nico's voice echo.

I head over to the stairs and sprint up them. I make my way down the hall and to my bedroom.

I walk in to see Nico in a tux. I'm so shocked that I drop my backpack to the floor with a _'thud'_.

"Uh.." I say, not quite knowing _what_ to say.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

I grin and say, "I thought you said you refused to wear a tux?"

"Well, I thought about it and decided that this might be your only chance to see me in one." he says, smirking.

"My _only_ chance?" I ask, walking over to him and resting my hands on the back of his neck.

"There might be another occasion, but just in case, I figured I might as well get it out of the way." he says.

"Well, you look dashing." I say, straightening his collar.

"Why, thank you." he says, smirking.

"So, how was the last day of hell?" he asks, shrugging off the jacket and putting it back on it's hanger.

"Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The slut queen came up to me today and wanted me to give you her number." I say, plopping down onto my neatly made-up bed.

"Really?" he asks, turning to look at me.

"Yea. I took it, but then I ripped it up and threw it in the trash." I say.

"Aww. But I kinda wanted to hit it off with a slut." he says.

I look up at him and give him a death glare. "You better be joking." I say.

"Relax, relax. There's no one I'd rather have than you. You're all I need." he says, sitting down next to me.

"Good." I say, a satisfied smile on my lips.

* * *

"Okay, I need to start getting ready." I say, scooting away from the kitchen table.

"Hurry up. I want to see you before I leave for work." Lucas says.

"I'll try, but I'm not promising anything." I say.

I place my dirty dishes in the dishwasher then head out of the kitchen, leaving Nico and Lucas at the table.

I make my way up to my room. When I get there, I close the door and then go over to my closet. I open it up and take out the silky, black strapless dress.

I lay it on the bed and then head into the bathroom. I commence to straighten my short, choppy hair and then do my make-up. I don't go overboard on the make-up though, like Ashley and her acquaintances will.

I sprits some of my Velvet Tuberose perfume from Bath and Body Works on myself (it's Nico's favorite) then go back into my room and over to my bed. I toss my jeans and shirt onto the floor, leaving them in a heap. Then I slide the silky dress over myself and adjust it.

I grab a pair of mismatched socks out of my dresser and slip them on. Then I grab my classic hi-tops, the ones that have been through so much over the past four years, and pull them on and tie the laces.

I look at myself in my full length mirror. This was it. It was time for what was supposed the be the best night of my life. We'll just see about that.

**A/N:**

***squeals* SO CLOSE TO PROM! I can't contain my excitement for you guys to read it! What did you guys think of Nico's little surprise? Cute, huh? And the Velvet Tuberose perfume I can picture Nico liking. It just smells deliciously dark and lovely.**

**Well, yesterday they got here. After about thirty minutes, I was about ready to die. I just don't see how one family can be so goddamned obnoxious! *drops to knees and closes eyes and puts hands together* Gods, help me get to Saturday without exploding.**

**Today we're going to a Titanic museum that's about forty-five minutes away from my house. Thank god we're taking two separate cars! See, my brother and sister-in-law are coming with us and brother is just going to meet us there since he has to work. My mom and I are going leave about fifteen minutes early to go pick up my sister-in-law and we're just going to meet them and my dad at the museum.**

**You know what would make my day a billion times better though? You guys! Even if it's in the form of a PM or a review, I will be eternally grateful because hearing from you guys always makes me happier :)**

**Oh! And before I forget, I just finished writing chapter 28 last night! I can't believe how fast this story has gone by! It feels as if I just posted the first chapter yesterday. Maybe that's because I've been busy lately and my days have gone by quicker...**

**Anyway, I'm not quite sure how many chapters this one is going to end up with. I'm thinking a little more or a little less than 40 chapters altogether plus an epilogue. Yes, this is the last piece of this series, but I plan on having an epilogue trilogy! I'll probably take a few weeks off after Salvation is finished though, so I can regroup my thoughts and figure out what exactly I'll be doing in the trilogy...**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**

**P.S.**

**I may do a surprise update sometime this week if I have time, so keep your eyes open, my lovelies!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Kyra, you look amazing." Lucas says, looking up at me from the bottom of the stairs.

"Thanks." I say, walking down the remaining steps.

"Converse? _Really_?" he asks, looking down at my feet.

"Yes. If there was an attack, would you want me to possibly trip and fall in heels, resulting in me possibly being killed?" I ask.

"Well, no." he says.

"Okay, then. The Converse stay." I say.

"You ready, Ky?" I hear Nico ask.

I look down the hallway and see Nico emerging from Lucas's room. He was all dressed up in his tux and solid black hi-tops. He had a red rose attached to his jacket, matching his red tie.

In his hands he held my corsage. It was made up of small red and black roses, with Moonlace curling around it all.

"Oh, Nico." I breathe.

"You like it?" he asks.

"Like it? Nico, it's beautiful!" I say, walking closer to him so he could slide it onto my wrist.

"Well, Persephone _does_ have a way with flowers." he says.

"Is that where you went today?" I ask.

"Yea. That and to get this thing." he says, motioning to his tux.

"Alright, I'm not gonna be the annoying parent who insists on taking a million pictures, but I _do_ want to get a few." Lucas says, pulling out his phone.

Nico and I stand on the stairs and take a few pictures, doing the traditional pose with his arm around my waist. Then there were a couple silly photos. You can't _not_ take those.

Lucas's phone starts to ring right after we take the last picture. He looks at it and sighs. It was obviously the hospital calling him in early.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun… Well, not _too_ much fun." he says, giving Nico a look and then walking to his room to change into his scrubs.

"Ready?" Nico asks, taking my hand.

"Yea." I say.

He locates a shadow and we dive into the cold darkness.

* * *

When we walk into the gym, all I see is silvery light and shades of dark blues. I look more closely and see that the prom committee went with a "starry night" theme.

The tables either had a silver or dark blue tablecloth over them, the centerpieces being a little, star-shaped lantern with a flickering candle inside, or a small vase filled with blue and white roses. From the ceiling, sparkly silver stars and white lights dangled.

Overall, they did a pretty good job. The Hecate and Demeter cabins could have done a much better job, but then, they have powers that allow them to do so. For mortals though, the committee did pretty well.

I look over to the DJ station and moan. The DJ for the night was Ashley's boyfriend, Todd. She's the sluttiest of the slutty and to go with a slut, you must have a jerk. Todd was your average, sports-crazed, high school jerk.

I wanted to rip my ears off because of the music that was playing. I don't even know who the artist is, but whoever it is, sucks.

I reflect on Green Day's song "Kill the DJ". I would be overjoyed to do that at the moment.

Nico looks at me and gives me a skeptical look.

"We'll only stay for an hour, if that. I want to see Mo before we go." I say.

He sighs and nods, motioning for me to lead the way to the dance floor.

As soon as we get there, I quickly spot Mo's curly, black hair. I drag Nico over and tap Mo on the shoulder.

He turns around and grins when he sees me. He starts laughing when he sees Nico. I smack his arm and he stops.

"Mo, who are you talking to?" I hear someone ask.

Mo's smile is wiped off his face and he stiffly turns around. I look past him to see his date, Gwen. She looked like a horrendous mess.

Her make-up was incredibly over-done, too much hot pink lipstick and sparkly eye shadow. Her hair was pulled into an extremely tight bun on the top of her head. It was so tight that I could see it pulling at the skin around her hair line. Her dress looked a bit like Cinderella's dress, all big and fluffy. Except, instead of it being a light, ice blue, it's bubblegum pink. I have to hold myself back from cringing.

"Oh, Gwen. You know Kyra." he says, glancing at me.

"Hi, Gwen." I say.

"Who's your date, Kyra?" she asks, trying to look behind me.

"Oh, um this is Dai. He's from Wales." I say, pulling Nico out from behind me.

"Wales, huh? What's it like there?" she asks.

Thank the gods Nico was still playing along with the "Dai" act. He turns to me, a quizzical look on his face.

"He doesn't speak very much English." I say.

"Oh. Well, we'll see you two later. C'mon, Mo." Gwen says, grabbing Mo's hand and dragging him away.

"Man, I feel bad for him." Nico says, watching as Gwen makes Mo put his hands on her hips.

"I bet he's going to be jumping for joy when this is over." I say.

"I would be, too." he says.

**A/N:**

**SURPRISE UPDATE! And prom has officially started! Prom night drags on for quite a while through the chapters. The last part of it is in the beginning of 25, so yea. We're going to be in prom night for a bit.**

**I want my house back. I want my bathroom back and my dog (who is at the kennels because he doesn't like them) and my normal schedule back. I am literally so sick of having them here. And I apologize for going on and on about how sick I am of it all. There's just no end to how much I hate having them here and the best way to get rid of the anger is to rant and vent about it. So, if you do not want to hear anymore, I would suggest not reading the rest of this A/N.**

**So, this morning I finally got out of bed around 11 because I had stayed up really late writing. Well, when I walked through the living room, all four of them just looked at me like I had killed ten people. I mean, is it a fucking rule that you can't sleep in late ****_in your own house?!_**

**And my brother-in-law just creeps me the fuck out. The other night I was up late, yet again writing, and I walked through the living room at about 1 in the morning, thinking no one would still be awake. Well he was out there, just watching TV. And he stared at me the whole time on my way to the bathroom. And then yesterday morning, I came out and when he saw me, he just gave me this creepy-ass smile and I was like, "da fuq you lookin' at?" **

**And my dad is pretty much about to loose it. Yesterday we went to the park to have a picnic for dinner. Well, they were just going to drop me and my mom off in downtown and we were just going take a run and meet them there because they still had to pick up dinner. Before hand, my nephew just kept obsessing over which car we were taking and my dad told him that we were taking our truck. So he shoots back with that there's only five seats and there's seven of us. I could literally s****_ee_**** my dad bristle with annoyance. And let me tell you, it takes a lot to annoy him to the point of where you can actually see he's annoyed. So he finally just told him that me and my mom were riding in the back of truck and we were just going to hop out. He still asked questions after that and we all just sorta ignored him.**

**Saturday, they leave Saturday. I have to keep telling myself that and reminding myself to be thankful that they're not staying till Sunday. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

We had been on the dance floor for about twenty minutes, dancing to the crappy music, when I hear a laugh. Now, this shouldn't have been unusual at a school dance, but this laugh, it sounded like the one from my dream. It sounded like Callie's unhinged, insane laugh.

I stop moving. Nico notices and starts asking me what's wrong. I'm not paying any attention though. I'm just trying to spot out Callie. I _know_ she's here.

Then I see her. She was mostly hidden in the shadows where the weak white lights didn't reach. She was wearing a white, Greek style dress and her blonde hair was piled up on top of her head, little ringlets falling loose here and there.

"Nico, we need to get everyone out of here." I say, an urgent tone to my voice.

"Why? What do you see?" he asks, glancing around.

"Callie. She was over there." I say, nodding my head over in the general direction.

"Are you sure? I don't see her over there." he says.

"Have I ever been wrong about something like this?" I ask, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, no. Not that I recall." he says.

"Okay then. We need to get everyone out. I don't know what she's up to, but anything involving her is never good." I say.

He thinks for a second then says, "Fire alarm."

"Good idea. I'll go find Mo and tell him what's going on." I say.

He gives me a look and his grip on me tightens slightly. Then he says, "Fine. Meet me back over by the DJ station in twenty minutes."

"Alright." I say.

We break apart and go our separate ways. I start looking around, trying to locate Mo's curly, black hair once again.

I see Gwen's dress before I see Mo. I elbow my way past dancing couples and over to her. I finally manage to get there, squeezing past one couple who wouldn't break apart for air.

I peer past Gwen and see Mo. I walk around and grab his arm.

"Excuse me, Gwen. I need to borrow Mo for a few minutes." I say.

Her eyes narrow and her mouth twists into a nasty snarl. "Where's you date, Kyra? Ditch you already?" she asks.

"No, actually he went to go get us some punch. I don't see how _my_ date should concern _you_." I say, tugging on Mo's arm.

"Well then, if you're going to be rude about it, I don't believe you have the right to take Mo." she says, grabbing his other arm.

"Don't have the right- Listen here, bitch, I've known Mo _way_ longer than you have. And you want to know something? He hates being your date! So, if you'll excuse us, we really need to get going." I say, giving Mo's arm one last hefty tug.

She lets go, a baffled look on her face and her arms hanging limp by her sides.

"Well, that wasn't very nice of you." Mo says as we walk away from Gwen, an amused tone to his voice.

"Well, she was asking for it. Anyway, Callie is here and-" a scream interrupts me.

Mo and I look around, trying to locate where it had come from. The whole gymnasium had gone silent, the music had stopped, and everyone had stopped dancing.

Suddenly, something flies over us, casting a rather large shadow. Whatever it is gives an ear-shattering cry. Everyone clamps their hands over their ears, trying to block out the noise.

I look up and see a giant vulture-like bird. It shed a few of it's grayish brown feathers as it circled over. My eyes grow wide as I realize what this creature is.

"A Griffin Vulture." Mo breathes.

The thing was at least ten feet long with it's wings spread out. I wasn't looking forward to trying to kill this thing. No need in pulling the fire alarm now. The other teenagers were all fleeing to the gym doors, trying to get away from, the creature.

I look and see that quite a few had made it to the doors. But they weren't leaving. They were trying to, but the doors seemed to be jammed.

"Ah, Kyra. What a wonderful surprise." a familiar voice says behind me.

I didn't want what I was thinking to be true. Anyone but who I thought it was. I stiffly turn around to see that who I had thought it was, was standing right there, a smug expression on his face.

"Keegan." I growl.

**A/N:**

**Ooooooh. Did ****_anyone_**** see ****_that _****coming? I wouldn't think so since Keegan hasn't been mentioned in this story and also because he was always a very minor character in the other parts of this series. What do you guys think is going to happen next? I just love leaving a chapter at a cliffhanger. I can sorta see why authors do it so often with their books, you get a sort of thrill out of it.**

**So, what we've all been waiting for. THEY'RE GONE! OMG, THANK THE GODS, THEY'RE GONE! I left for class this morning and went ahead and told them all goodbye. I wasn't sure if they would be gone when I got home, but my mom texted me at about 12 and told me they had left.**

**So, the bathroom wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting, because my dad had gone ahead and gathered all the dirty towels they had left on the floor. The shower though, ugh, I nearly threw up when I saw it. I am not exaggerating when I say the whole thing was coated in black hair. Tub, curtain, _everything. _It took me ****_forever _****to wash all of it down the drain. Yech.**

**And what the fuck gives a guest the right to insult someone else in their own house? I was sitting on the couch yesterday, listening to my music and drawing on my arm with my sharpies, like I usually do, and my sister felt the need to tell me that I was going to be a tattoo artist when I grew up. Usually, this wouldn't be very insulting and I wouldn't have given much of a thought to it. But the _way _she said it, made it sound like an insult. And she felt the need to say it like three other times. I mean, _seriously?! _We all get that you think I'm going to be a tattoo artist, you don't have to keep saying it!**

**And I was pretty creeped out today before I left. Since we knew that they probably wouldn't be here when my mom and I got home, we went ahead and said our goodbyes. Well, my sister came over and hugged me, smothering me in the process with her boobs, then my nephew and niece came over and hugged me. Now, I really hate hugging people. Or, at least, _these _people. My mom's family I'm fine with because I actually _like _them. But anyway, my brother-in-law completely walked around my mom and didn't even hug her and instead hugged me. What. the. fuck. I was literally thinking, "Get away from me you fucking perverted pedophile!"**

**Ugh. But yes, they're _finally _gone! Praise the gods, I didn't explode and I made it through the week! But really, thank you guys for helping me and encouraging me on. I couldn't have done it without you and I couldn't ask for better internet friends! :)**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Hello there, dear sister." he says, strolling over to Mo and I.

"You know, I never would have thought you would have joined the monsters." I say.

His features darken. "They are not the monsters. We are; we demigods." he says.

"How are _we_ the monsters? We _protect_ other people from these creatures. All they do is kill." I protest.

He clenches his fists. I can tell he's trying to keep his cool, but it's not working quite so well. His face is red with anger and he looks furious.

"Drew!" he yells over his shoulder.

"Drew?" I ask, surprised.

Instead of the glamorous, and yet unpleasant, Drew, Gwen clicked over in her heels.

"_Gwen_?" Mo says, baffled.

"That's right." she says, smiling.

She starts to change form, her skin darkening to a scaly greenish-brown, fingers elongating and baring talons. Her hair goes from it's frizzy brown to flames. Literally, her hair turned into flames.

She looks up and I see that her eyes are glowing red. There was a sinister smile on her face and she was baring her teeth, revealing two sharp canines.

Behind all the monstrous looks, I could tell it was Drew. She had somehow changed herself, made herself into a monster.

"You like?" she asks, twirling around.

"Drew, how.. What..?" I try to phrase a question.

"Callie helped me. She took me to a sorceress and had her change me. I'm a combination of an empousa and a dracanae. Isn't it great?!" she squeals.

Mo and I start to back away from her and Keegan. Whatever this was, we needed more help than just the two of us, Nico, some teachers, and the graduating seniors.

"Release them!" Keegan shouts, suddenly.

The sound of the gym doors opening turns everyone's attention away from us. Tons of monsters come surging through the doors, shoving teenagers away.

Empousai, donestre, hellhounds, little pit scorpions, stymphalian birds, scythian dracanae, and several other kinds of creatures pour in.

Everyone started screaming and running around like they had their heads cut off. Every so often, a monster would kill one of the teenagers, occasionally eating them and other times just laughing as they watched the light leave their eyes.

I was horrified at the sight. Usually monsters didn't slaughter the mortals for fun. Or at least, a large majority of them didn't kill mortals. Usually they're after demigod blood. I guess Callie has these monsters trained to do anything.

As Mo and I had been watching the horrific scene, Keegan had snuck away into the chaos without being noticed.

I look around, frantically trying to find Nico. I see him over by the now vacant DJ station, fighting off a couple of nasty looking harpies.

I look to Mo and see he already had a celestial bronze dagger in each hand. He must have had them strapped on his forearms in their sheaths.

I touch the oh-so-familiar sun pendant around my neck and a few seconds later I have my white gold bow in my hands and my quiver slung behind me.

We start making our way over to Nico, killing quite a few monsters on the way, I might add. We also passed a lot of dead teenagers, people we had grown up with over the years. They would all forever be in twelfth grade. What a depressing thought.

Just as I reach Nico, I fire two arrows into a harpy's back. It had been about to fly at Nico while he was fighting off the other one.

It gives a deafening screech and then crumbles into the sulfurous, yellow dust, leaving behind a few large, blood red feathers as a spoil of war.

Nico whips around, hearing the monster's dying cry. He sees me and an almost relieved look comes to his face. That look didn't last long though.

I see the change in expression and turn around. I find myself face-to-face with a rather large dracanae. Her bottom half was made of what looked like two snakes in place of legs. The skin on her legs was a scaly black with streaks of bright red and yellow.

She smiles at me, revealing two long, sharp fangs covered in blood. I didn't want to know whose blood it was.

I back up a little and pull out a couple of arrows. She slithers forward and tries to jump onto me. I hop out of the way just in time and she lands face-first on the ground.

I take the couple of seconds I'm given to shoot her. The arrows hit her in the back of the head and dark green blood spews out, splattering me. She slowly crumbles into nothingness and I look up at Nico.

He was no longer by me. I frantically look around, trying to spot him or Mo. I finally see Mo, surrounded by five donestre. I start running over to him, firing arrows all the while.

I reach him and shoot three arrows into the back of the largest of the five monsters. It howls and then disintegrates. The remaining four turn their attention away from Mo and onto me.

They look down at the pile of dust that was once their brother and then back up at me, all snarling.

Another one disintegrates and I see Mo's daggers clatter to the floor in the pile of dust. I quickly pull out a few arrows and fire them into the remaining donestre. Soon, all that's left are yellow piles of monster dust.

Teenagers were still running around, screaming their heads off. I'm not sure what exactly they were seeing the monsters as, but whatever it was, I'm pretty sure it wasn't pleasant.

* * *

I have no clue how long it's been since all the monsters arrived. Several of my classmates had escaped throughout battling the monsters, but there were quite a few on the ground, motionless and in a pool of their own blood.

I would see Mo or Nico every once and a while, fighting some sort of creature. They both appeared to be alright, and that comforted me.

After I while, I start to wonder where the hell Walker is. I mean, he was supposed to be keeping watch over me and making sure I was safe, right?

Someone screaming my name over all the chaos snaps me out of my thoughts. I look around, trying to see where it had come from.

Suddenly, I freeze. I stare ahead and see Keegan standing ten feet away from me. He had a bow in his hands and an arrow notched. He smirks at me and anger churns in my stomach.

I reach into my quiver and take out an arrow. I had been hoping that he was just confused and would come back to the good side. I could see now that my hopes were wrong.

Just as I release the arrow, he releases his. Someone jumps in front of me just in the knick of time, Keegan's bronze tipped arrow sinking into their chest.

The person falls to the ground and I see that my arrow had also reached it's target. Keegan was laying on his back, my arrow sticking out of his heart, a small pool of blood gathering around him.

My attention immediately goes to the person who had saved me. The anger I had had towards Keegan instantly changes to dread. Laying on his side, black curls slightly wet with blood, was Mo.

**A/N:**

**GUYS. OH MY GOD, I AM FREAKING THE FUCK OUT RIGHT NOW. **

**Here's why. So, none of you guys know this but, a couple of weeks ago I joined FictionPress, a site that the creators of this one made. It's for publishing regular, non-fanfiction and just regular fiction and poems. Well, I published a story on there called, "The Night of the Living Chocolate" and it's a horror story. **

**I got home today after running some errands with my mom and I checked my email. There was a PM alert on there from my FictionPress account. I read it and I kid you not when I say I nearly started crying and having a panic attack at the same time.**

**Here't the PM...**

**"Hi Mrs-diAngelo25  
I'm Edmond, the co-founder of Jungle age, a startup website dedicated to short story publishing. We are building Jungle age as a community for short story writers and in the future, a platform where writers can sell stories as well.**

Your story "The Night of the Living Chocolate" really impressed me, and I'm wondering if you'd like to cross-publish it on our site. You could gain additional readership & comments, and be 1 of the very first members of the community."

**That's just the first part of the PM. The rest was information on how to reach him by email if I had any questions. **

**But, OH MY GOD! Never in a million years would I have thought I would be offered something like that. I didn't actually think my writing what ****_that _****good. If someone had told me three years ago that I would actually ****_enjoy _****writing, I would have laughed in their face. I despised writing when I was younger and just about refused to do so. Just goes to show how much can change in such little time.**

**So, I figured a celebratory surprise update was in order after receiving this news. I am still absolutely speechless and I received the PM almost an hour ago. I suppose this is my reward after going through hell week and living. **

**I accepted, of course. But, oh wow. Just-wow. That's all I have to say about it. Just, wow. **

**When I showed my mom the PM, she hugged me and congratulated me and then we both just sorta broke down in tears. So many emotions have been bottled up over the past week and I guess this news just broke the bottle open. **

**Now that I've gotten that out of the way, time to discuss the chapter. Can you believe it was Mo who jumped in front of Kyra? I had mixed feelings on where to lead it after I left it at that, but I figured it out and I'm very happy with the result. **

**Tomorrow's chapter is pretty awesome, in my opinion. You guys have your own opinions of it. I need to write more tonight. I finished chapter 30 the other night. God, that is such a long-ass chapter. After I finished it, I looked at how many pages it was and was like, "Good lord. I can't believe I just wrote all of that." **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**

**P.S.**

**If any of you guys want to check out my FictionPress stories, just go to Fiction Press . c o m. My user name is the same as it is on here so just look up, Mrs-diAngelo25.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

I kneel down next to Mo. He was still breathing, barely. I glance back up to see that a group of hungry looking donestre had gathered around us.

"Stay away from him!" I shout, trying to shield Mo's body with my own.

Now was a time where I wished I still carried a dagger. It was going to be a tricky task killing these monsters with a bow at such close range.

I quickly snatch an arrow out of my quiver and stab the nearest lion-man. It howls and reels back, snarling at me.

I grab two more arrows and stab them into another's abdomen. The thing growls and stumbles backward. One of the arrows was a forking arrow and was quickly tying him up with the celestial bronze wires.

I grab a bunch of other arrows out of my quiver and pick out the forking arrows. I stab them all into the remaining donestre and they quickly fall to the ground, unable to stand. I would never be able to thank Leo enough for making those for me. Gods know they've saved me countless times.

I look around and see yet more monsters. There weren't nearly as many as there had been to begin with, but there were still a lot of them. Weirdly enough, Callie was no where in sight.

I glance around, looking for Nico. He was battling something that looked like a skeleton/spider hybrid in a straight jacket. I've never seen or heard of a creature like this, but I didn't have the time to think about it.

I turn my attention back on Mo. He was laying on the floor, Keegan's arrow sticking out of his chest, his shirt soaked in his scarlet blood. I get back on my knees and lean over him. He opens his violet eyes and smiles up at me.

"You're safe." he says, his voice barely a whisper.

"Mo, you can't leave me. Not now. I need you." I say, gripping the end of the arrow.

"Now, hold on. This is going to hurt… A lot." I say.

Then I pull the arrow out. Mo makes a sound in between a scream and a gasp.

I quickly grab one of Mo's daggers and rip off the bottom of my dress it and fold the cloth. I press the black silk over the puncture in Mo's chest, trying to slow down the bleeding.

* * *

"Kyra! What happened?" Nico asks, running over to me.

He was drenched in sweat and monster blood and dust. His tux jacket was slashed on the left arm and I could see that the entire sleeve was soaked in blood.

Monsters were still raging behind him, but they were distracted with eating some of the dead teenagers.

I was still pressing the ripped piece of my dress against Mo's chest. The silk was drenched in blood. His breathing was very shallow and his eyes were closed, his eyelids twitching every now and then.

"Keegan happened." I say.

"Do you have any nectar with you?" he asks, kneeling down beside me.

I shake my head no.

"Hmm." he says, looking down at Mo.

"I believe I might be able to help." a familiar voice says.

We turn around to see Walker striding through the gym doors. A couple of brave monsters rushed towards him, talons outstretched and fangs bared.

He simply stops walking and just looks at them. He seemed to have hypnotized them. He snaps his fingers and then the two creatures dissolve into piles of dry rice.

All of the remaining monsters run to him, trampling some mutilated bodies on the way. They all make a rather large circle around Walker.

He spreads his arms open wide, looking as if he wanted to give the monsters giant bear hugs. A colorful glow emits from the palms of his hands.

All the monsters dissolve, much like the two before. Every one disintegrated into something different. Marbles, dry rice, flowers, crayons, sand, water. Anything you can think of, those monsters dissolved into.

Nico and I stare at Walker in awe as he glides over to us.

He stops and looks down at Mo, the bloodied piece of silk still pressed up against him.

Just as Walker is about to say something, we see red and blue flashing lights outside and loud sirens. A couple of minutes later, several police and firemen barge in.

They stop and look around at the carnage. Then their eyes land on us. A police officer sprints over to us and takes in the sight.

He calls to another policeman and he goes back outside.

"What happened here?" the officer asks, crouching down to look at me.

"I-um.." I look over to Nico for guidance.

"Sir, I believe she might be in shock. It might be best to ask questions later." he says.

"Of course. I need to know though, who is this young man?" he asks, gesturing to Mo.

"Mo Laths." I say.

"Alright. We'll have him taken to the hospital right away." he says.

"What? No, it's alri-" I start to protest, but Nico grabs me by the shoulders and makes me look at him.

"What? All he needs is some nectar. By the time they get him to the hospital, it might be too late." I say.

"I know that, Ky. But they've already seen him. If we were to just take him back to your house now, and then give him the nectar, we'd be under some serious questioning. I mean, a mortal can't heal from a wound _that_ serious in a matter of minutes." he says.

I glance down at Mo and sigh. "I guess you're right." I say.

A couple of paramedics wheel in a gurney. They carefully lift Mo up onto it and then strap him down. He looks so pale and he was just barely breathing.

I watch as they quickly roll him out of the gym and to the ambulance, feeling helpless.

"C'mon. Let's get up to the hospital." I say, feeling tired but wanting to make sure Mo was alright.

"Kyra, I think it would be best if you got a good night's sleep. You won't be able to help Mo any if you're a living zombie." Walker says.

"He's right, Ky. Mo will be alright until tomorrow morning." Nico says.

"Fine." I sigh, not happy with this outcome.

"I'll see you sometime tomorrow, Kyra. I need to see if I can track down Callie." Walker says.

"Alright. Thanks, Walker. For coming when you did. We'd all be dead if you hadn't of shown up." I say.

"I told you, a promise is a promise." he says.

**A/N:**

**WALKER TO THE RESCUE! FUCK YEA! The next chapter is a bit short compared to the past couple of chapters. It's also got a bit of cute fluffiness :) If I write enough this week, you guys might just get ****_two _****chapters on Saturday ;)**

**Oh, and the skeleton/spider hybrid thing was a monster that was in one of my dreams one time. So no, it's not an original Greek monster.**

**Ahh. At work with my mom again. Fun. I was going to come with her yesterday, but the schedule got changed on her and when we got there, a couple of her co-workers were pretty confused as to why she was there. They explained that she wasn't supposed to work. She was pretty ticked off because she had gone to the trouble of getting her work clothes on and driving down there (even though it's only like 10 minutes away from out house). I was pretty ticked off too because I woke up thirty minutes early so I could get showered and stuff. That's thirty minutes of sleep I could have gotten! If you didn't know already, I'm in love with my sleep...**

**Today is a good day! I could tell when I woke up this morning! My best friend is coming back home today after being away visiting her family for two weeks. Oh my god, I've felt like dying because I've been so bored. It was also pretty horrible because she ****_and _****my pottery teacher were gone during hell week. As you all know, that was awful. I won't go into details because you all know them already. But, it would have been much more bearable if she had been with me.**

**When I called and told her the news of that guy contacting me yesterday about my short horror story, she was psyched and said that we needed to celebrate today when she got back. So, I guess around 5 o'clock today, we're going to go to the mall and then to Starbucks! :)**

**I hope everyone has a good day and I'll talk to you all later!**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

As we walk through the door, I feel myself start to crumble. The walls I had built up around myself keeping all my emotions in over the past year were quickly deteriorating away.

When I hear the door click shut and Nico locking it, I fall apart. I drop to my knees and bury my face in my hands, letting the tears escape.

Horrid sounding sobs were escaping my mouth. I feel Nico's arms wrap around me and he kisses the top of my head.

I hated crying. I hated it with a passion. Sometimes I wish Nico had never found me in that floral closest of the church almost four years ago. My life would be so much simpler if I had never found out I was a demigod.

Then again, I don't wish he had never found me. If he hadn't, I wouldn't have met him. Or anyone at camp, for that matter. My life would actually be pretty boring if he hadn't of found me.

* * *

After about ten minutes of crying my heart out and just letting all my pent up emotions out, I got up and started making my way to my room.

I was pretty tired. This resulted in nearly collapsing a couple of times while going up the stairs. Nico eventually just scooped me up and carried me the rest of the way. I was too tired to even protest this.

We make it to my room and he carefully lays me down on my bed. I kick off my shoes and get under the blanket, still in my ripped, monster dust and blood covered dress. I pass out before Nico basically crumbles onto the bed.

* * *

I honestly don't think I've ever slept so hard in my life. The house could have caught on fire and I probably would have slept through it. That's how exhausted I had been.

I finally squint open my eyes around 9:30. I sit up slowly, my whole body aching. Nico was not in the bed. I look around and see the ruined tux in a heap on the floor just outside the bathroom door.

I hear the sound of running water and come to the conclusion that Nico was taking a shower. I slide out of bed and over to my dresser.

I pull open the drawers and get out a pair of cut-off shorts and a purple v-neck tee shirt.

As soon as I close my shirt drawer, I hear the water stop running. A couple of minutes later, Nico emerges from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and water droplets on his shoulders and chest.

"Good morning." he says, smiling as he walks over to me.

I notice long, jagged scars on his left arm, going from shoulder to wrist. I grab his arm and he looks at me.

"What did this?" I ask, running my fingers over the slightly puffy white scars.

"Oh, you know that Griffin Vulture? I killed it, but before I did, it nearly ripped my arm off. It'll probably take a few days for these to fade away since that thing was really old. That, and there's no telling what the hell was on those talons." he says.

He leans down and kisses me, then turns around and grabs his backpack. He unzips it and pulls out a clean pair of clothes.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Alright, I guess. I feel like I wrestled the Minotaur though." I say, rolling back my shoulder.

"Well, I would suggest a hot shower. That should help." he says.

I laugh and say, "Are you my doctor now?"

He smirks at me and says, "Why yes, yes I am. You may now refer to me as Doctor di Angelo."

"Hmm. It has a good ring to it." I say, walking over to the bathroom.

"It does, doesn't it?" he says, thoughtful.

I shake my head, a hint of a smile on my lips, and close the door behind me.

**A/N:**

**Surprise update, because I ****_can! _****See, I told you there would be slight fluff in this chapter. Instead of just calling Kyra/Nico fluff "fluff", from now on it's just going to be called "Kyrico" or "Kyrico moments". T1nyDanc3r came up with that pet name a couple of weeks ago and I like it :) So, thank you.**

**Well, what I want to know is how I just figured out how to use Tumblr a few days ago. Oh my god, it's the best fucking website ever made! I literally stayed up till about 3 in the morning the other day just reblogging stuff... Yea, I've only just figured it out a couple of days ago and it's already ruined my life. Thanks Tumblr. Thanks.**

**So, this isn't a music rant. More like music appreciation. I just want to say that I don't understand how music doesn't touch the soul of everyone on the planet. I was listening to "The Little Things Give You Away" by Linkin Park yesterday and I put it on repeat and I don't know how many times I listened to that song. It's just so beautiful, I don't know how someone ****_couldn't _****like it. And then last night while writing, I was listening to The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus's album "Am I the Enemy" and the first song on the album is called "Salvation". Holy fuck guys. It's just so perfect and I was thinking about it and I think the lyrics perfectly describe this story. "Wake Me Up", "Dive Too Deep", "Don't Lose Hope", and "Fall Form Grace" are some of my other favorites from that album. **

**I must say, I just love my music to pieces. If could gather all the members of the bands I listen to, I'd want to give every single one of them a giant hug and just tell them thank you. Some people just don't understand what an amazing friend music can be when no one else understands your situation or the mood your in. **

**Green Day is probably the one I would thank the most though. They opened my current genre of music up to me. If I hadn't of taken "American Idiot" out of my brother's CD case last June and burned it into my iTunes library, I'd still be listening to pop today. I'd also be extremely close-minded because that's one of the many things Green Day has taught me. Be open-minded and accept people for who they are. **

**Alright, my music appreciation is over for the day. **

**I hope everyone has a good day and I'll talk to y'all again on Saturday! And yes, I ****_did _****just use the word "y'all". I'm from the south and so are my parents, and we use that word a lot, so there.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.\

* * *

"Mo. _Mo_." I say.

Nico and I were in his hospital room. Mo's mom had left when we had come in, seeing that we had what could make her son live.

"Mo, for gods' sakes, _wake_ _up_!" I say, becoming more and more anxious.

He squints open his eyes, flashing their brilliant violetness.

He smiles, weakly, and says, "Hey, Ky."

"Mo, you've got to eat this." I say, holding a small piece of ambrosia up to his mouth.

"What is it?" he asks.

"Ambrosia. Come on, Mo. You don't have that much time." I say, holding it up to him again.

"No." he says.

"W-what?" I ask, baffled that he would turn down his only chance of surviving.

"No. I'm not eating it." he says, crossing his arms.

"But-" I start, but Nico grabs my arm and drags me out of the room.

Once we're out in the relatively quiet hallway, he closes the door behind us.

He turns to me and says, "He doesn't want it, Ky."

"I know that. But doesn't he realize how many people will miss him?" I ask, feeling like I was on the brink of tears.

"I believe he does, he just thinks they'll be alright after he's gone." he says.

"But I won't-I mean, _we_ _won't_ be alright!" I protest.

"Ky, it will be okay. I can pretty much guarantee that he'll be put into Elysium, considering that the only reason he's here is because he took that arrow for you." he says.

I lean against the wall and slide down onto the floor, then rest my head on my knees. Taking deep breaths, I try to calm down.

"That's just it." I say.

"What?" Nico asks, crouching down so he's level with me.

"It's all because of me that he's here. That arrow was meant for me." I say.

"Ky, he did what he did because you're his best friend. He was protecting you." he says, his voice soft.

"I don't need protecting!" I shout, getting a couple of looks from passing nurses.

"Just calm down." he says, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Why does everyone think I need to be protected?! I'm perfectly capable of protecting my own damn ass, I don't need someone else doing it for me!" I say, standing up.

I turn away from Nico and go back into Mo's room, only to be greeted by a long, low beep emitting from the heart rate machine.

"No!" I scream.

I rush over to the bed to see Mo, a peaceful look on his face, his arms resting on his chest. He was completely motionless.

I quickly move his arms and place my hands over his chest. Then I start chanting.

"O agapitós fílos mou

Mi m 'afíneis tóra

Aftó den eínai to télos

Min ypokýpsei

Gia to chéri tou Thanátou

Aplá akóma."

My hands were glowing an incredible shade of yellow. They were so bright that I had to look away, for fear that if I looked at them much longer, I'd go blind.

After a couple of times of repeating the chant and feeling ever so dizzy, it still hadn't worked. I start to feel like it's hopeless. Mo was gone, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

I take a heavy sigh and then just collapse on top of Mo, sobbing my eyes out.

"Perhaps I could be of some assistance." I hear a familiar voice.

I sniffle, trying to stop the sobs, and look up. I'm greeted by the sight of Walker standing at the foot of the bed.

"What could you do? You're not a healing god." I say.

"Oh, but I _am_ the god of imagination, am I not?" he questions, smiling slightly.

What there was to smile about at a time like this, I didn't know.

"Well, yea, you are. But how can you bring Mo back?" I ask.

"Imagination." he says.

He closes his eyes and places a hand over Mo's heart. A green, blue, and purple glow emits from his hand.

After a few seconds of this, Mo's eyes fly open and he sits up straight in bed, gasping for air. He was staring blankly into space, his violet eyes glazed over. Nico and I stare at Walker in amazement.

"Well, my work here is done. Mo will come out of that trance in a few minutes. I'll be seeing you later, Kyra. Have a good day." Walker says, walking past me and to the door.

As he reaches Nico though, he stops and places and hand on his shoulder. He gives him a small nod and then leaves.

Nico turns to me and gives me a confused look. I know what Walker had done though. For that one second he had his hand on Nico's shoulder, I had seen a dark grayish glow. He had healed Nico's scars from battling that Griffin Vulture.

Still feeling dizzy after using a lot of energy trying to bring Mo back, I start to sway back and forth. Before I know it, I'm falling backwards. Nico rushes forward and catches me before my head hits the floor though. I stay conscious just long enough to see Mo glance around, finally coming back to himself.

**A/N:**

**Yet again, WALKER TO THE RESCUE! So, Mo did not die, as I'm sure many of you thought he would. Did you seriously think I was going to kill off my main character's best friend? I don't think so.**

**So, sadly, next Saturday I will probably not be able to upload. "Why?" you ask. I'm leaving for New York on the 1st (Thursday) and I won't be back till the 5th (Monday). I'm not sure if I'll have enough time while I'm gone to upload, so I'm not sure if I'm going to even _bring_ my laptop with me. But, I promise I'll upload as soon as I get back on Monday if I'm not too exhausted. So, you guys are gonna have to suck it up and wait almost a week for me update, I don't want to hear any complaints! Lol, just kidding. I love you guys and I'm sure y'all understand :)**

**Oh! And those two brothers are back at class. They were there Thursday and they a****_ctually _****weren't that bad, surprisingly. There's this one girl who's been coming for almost nine weeks now and throughout the ****_entire _****time, she's barely said ten words to me. I'm not kidding.**

**I don't know if I did something to offend her or what, but it's like I'm completely invisible to her. She talks to the teacher and other artists at the studio and the other students. I just don't see what I did wrong.**

**But, before she got there Thursday, I was telling the boys about that and how she doesn't even acknowledge me and it was really cute because both of them started getting a little angry at her because she ****_hadn't _****talked to me. They were both really shocked because she hadn't, because (I've been told) I'm a very easy and nice person to talk to. But I was just thinking, "Aww! You guys ****_do _****care about me!"**

**Hopefully, they'll stay that way and keep being nice to me. Because for a while there, both of them (mostly the older one) were picking on me and just generally making me feel bad about myself. I got a little depressed for a few weeks because of that and it just really wasn't fun. It got so bad that I started having slight panic-attacks every Friday night and ended up feeling really bad on Saturdays when I went to class. So, when they left for the summer, it was really nice and it gave me time to decompress and get back to my usual self again.**

**I hope everyone has a good day and I'll talk to you guys later!**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**

**P.S.**

**HOLY FUCK, GUYS! 63 REVIEWS AND THIS IS ONLY CHAPTER 26! You guys are so incredibly amazing! :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

I wake up sitting in a chair. My head was pounding and my eyes seemed sensitive to light. I finally manage to open my eyes all the way though.

I see that I'm still in Mo's room, except that a doctor and a couple of nurses were frantically looking through papers and charts.

"It just doesn't make sense; he should have died! The heart monitor even shows that his heart stopped beating for a full four minutes!" the doctor says, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, doctor, miracles _do_ happen." Mo's mom, Adrienne, says.

I try to stand up, but end up falling back into the chair. Adrienne notices that I'm awake and scurries over to me.

"Good, you're up." she says, grinning at me and practically glowing with happiness.

"Where's Nico?" I ask, trying to stand up again.

"He went down to the cafeteria to get some coffee for you two. He should be back in a couple of minutes." she says.

"Alright. And how's Mo doing?" I ask trying to see around the doctor and two nurses.

"Much better, thank you, Kyra. He wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you." she says, lowing her voice so that only I could hear her.

"Actually, it wasn't me. The god of imagination has been keeping an eye on me as a favor to Apollo. He's the one that brought Mo back." I say, keeping my voice low.

At that moment, Nico walks through and sees I'm awake. He grins and walks over to me, carrying two small coffee cups. He hands one to me and I take a sip of it. It was actually surprisingly good for hospital coffee.

"Feeling better?" he asks.

"You mean now that I'm not unconscious? Yes, very much so." I say.

"Good, we can go back to the house soon. I'm sure Mo needs to rest a bit more before going home." he says.

"Yea, you're probably right. Let me finish this and then I should be good to go." I say, motioning to my coffee.

Nico nods and starts drinking his as well.

We watch as the doctor and nurses go over every possibility as to why the heart monitor said that Mo's heart had stopped beating for the amount of time it did.

By the time we had finished our coffee, they had all left, completely baffled and out of ideas. Adrienne had gone to see when Mo could go home.

I stand up, Nico steadying me slightly, and walk over to Mo's bed.

"Why didn't you want to eat the ambrosia?" I ask, placing my hand over his.

"I thought that if I ate it, the Fates would take your life, since that arrow was actually meant for you. Either that or the world would implode or something." Mo says.

"You read too much science fiction and stuff about time travel. You should have known I wasn't going to let you die." I say.

"Yea." he says, nodding.

"Alright. Well, we're going to go back to the house. I'll call you later." I say, kissing his cheek.

He blushes slightly and tries to hide a smile. I'm pretty sure Mo doesn't love me anymore, or at least, not in that way, but it was still me kissing him.

"See ya later, buddy." Nico says, waving to Mo.

He grabs my hand and we find a shadow. Into the darkness we go.

**A/N:**

**I don't really have much to comment on this chapter. Chapter 29 is where things start to get interesting again...**

**Oooh, packing. Such a ****_fun _****thing to do! Not. I have to get started on that after I post this chapter. I'm actually leaving tomorrow for New York (not on Thursday like I thought) and we're spending the night in Pennsylvania then getting to New York on Thursday. **

**So, I am going to bring my laptop with me, simply to have something to do at night at the hotel. But I'm not sure if I'll update or not on Saturday. And if I do, it will probably be late in the evening because I think we're heading into the city on Saturday and spending most of the day there. So, just keep your eyes open. **

**Okay, so in the last A/N, I told you guys about how the boys were being nice to me on Thursday... Well, the younger one was relatively nice on Saturday. The older one, well, he dropped the nice act. Let the insults and badgering begin again from him. Hopefully, it won't get to me as bad as it did last time.**

**Thankfully, I won't have to deal with it at all this week since I'll be missing both Thursday and Saturday! I just wish he'd stop coming to class. He makes it pretty hard for anyone to concentrate because he's always really loud and asking everyone questions about random stuff. **

**May or may not talk to you guys on Saturday.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"So, what do you want to do today?" Nico asks.

We had just gotten back to the house. It was relatively quiet, but I could hear Lucas snoring slightly.

"I think I just want to sleep." I say, flopping onto the couch.

"That healing stuff really does take it out of you, doesn't it?" he questions.

"Yea, especially when the bringing someone back to life part doesn't work and someone else has to do it." I say.

"I still wonder why you're able to do it." he says.

"I don't know. Hypos said that he had only seen it one other time in an Apollo child, and that had been thousands of years ago. I guess it's rare." I say.

"Might be something to ask Apollo about next time you see him." he says.

"Yea, I probably will. I myself wonder why I'm able to do it." I say, a yawn interrupting my speech.

"Go on, take a nap." Nico says, a small smile creeping onto his lips.

"Alright." I say, grabbing the blanket at the end of the couch.

* * *

I'm awoken abruptly from my dreamless sleep by the chorus of "From the Inside" by Linkin Park. I squint open my eyes and see my phone lighting up on the coffee table. I reach over to see Will was the one calling me.

"Hello?" I answer, trying to shake the sleepiness from my voice.

"Kyra?" I hear Will say.

"Yea. Whatcha need?" I ask, sitting up and stretching.

"I was wondering if you wanted to meet up for dinner or something, since I probably won't see you again until after summer." he says.

"That sounds good. Have anything in mind?" I ask.

"Not really. Maybe Mexican?" he suggests.

"Sounds good. Have you ever been to Tortilleria Sinaloa?" I ask.

"I've heard of it, but I've never been." he says.

"Alright. You _have_ to eat there. It's on Eastern Avenue." I say.

"Seven o'clock?" he asks.

"Sounds good. Nico and I will meet you there." I say.

"Awesome. See you guys there!" he says.

I end the call just as Nico walks in.

"Oh, you're up." he says, smiling and leaning on the back of the couch, looking down at me.

"We're going to go eat with Will tonight." I say, grinning and looking up at him.

"Great! What time?" he asks.

"Seven." I say.

"Cool." he says, leaning down and kissing me.

"Have you heard anything on Mo?" I ask.

"Adrienne called about thirty minutes ago." he says.

"What did she say?" I ask.

"Well, the doctors are still trying to figure out what happened with the heart monitor. She also said that the hospital is going to release him tomorrow. They want to keep him overnight just to make sure everything is steady." he says, walking around to the front of the couch and sitting down next to me.

"Well, everything _will_ be steady." I say.

"But the doctors don't know that Mo's a demigod and ate some ambrosia and is now magically healed." he says.

I sigh. "I just want him to be back home and alright." I say.

"I know." he says, kissing the top of my head and rubbing his thumb over the top of my hand.

**A/N:**

**Yay! I was able to update today! What do you guys think the dinner with Will will bring about? And remember, we still have graduation to look forward to!**

**As I'm trying to finish up writing Salvation, I keep remembering things I need to add. It's quite frustrating actually, because I'll think I'm just about done and then I remember a part I forgot to add or a loose end to tie up.**

**Ahh. I'm so tired! Where shall we start with the adventure that has been this weekend? I'll try to make this as short as possible, I don't want this to be an awfully long A/N. If you want to know more details about my adventures, ask me in the reviews or PM me.**

**So, Wednesday was just a lot of driving. It rained the whole way to our hotel for the night in Pennsylvania and we got there just a little bit before 10 PM. Nothing very exciting to talk about since it was just being in the car the whole day.**

**Thursday was much the same, except we only had two hours to go, instead of ten. We got to the hotel in New York a couple of hours before check-in so we went to the little diner across the street and had lunch. It was fantabulous (yes, I know that's not a word, I just made it up)! The rest of the night was pretty low-key.**

**Yesterday, we toured The John Jay Homestead and that was pretty cool. It felt wonderful outside, perfect jeans and tee shirt weather! Then after that, we had lunch at yet another diner and then we toured this place called Wolf Hollow. It's actually someone's house, but their grandmother or mother was very ill so we weren't allowed to go inside. But the yard was beautiful! There was a little lake and gardens and woods surrounded most of the property.**

**Today, we went into the city. To be honest, I was terrified and anxious about going into the city. My mind was thinking all about CSI:NY and all the crimes and stuff like that. But, once we got there, I fell in love! We had a very nice tour guide on our bus. First we went to the World Trade Center Memorial. After that we went to this mall-like place and had lunch in the food court. After that, we went to Rockefeller Center and did the "Top of the Rock" thing. Wow. That was incredible! It was extremely crowded, but it was ****_so_**** worth it! **

**Sadly, we didn't get to go to the Empire State Building :( And I also did not see any fellow demigods in orange or purple shirts. But then, I wasn't wearing either type of shirt either.**

**Tomorrow, my parents and I are going back into the city to have breakfast with my three cousins who live there and then we're going to start heading home. We'll stop somewhere for the night and then travel the rest of the way home on Monday.**

**Oh, and by the way, this whole trip was a sort of internet book group gathering thing with my mom's friends. See, my mom also writes fanfiction, or used to, and the people we're in New York with are readers and/or writers themselves for this particular book series that they've all read. Someone puts together one of these "camps" every year and it's been held all over the U.S. So far, I've been to New York twice, just over the boarder or Canada for a couple of hours for one, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. They're usually fun, but they make for an extremely tiring weekend. Usually after coming home, I just want to be alone in my room for a whole day. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Where are you two going?" Lucas asks, waking into the living room in his pajamas.

I was currently tying my shoe laces and Nico was sitting on the couch, waiting for me.

"Oh, we're going to meet Will for dinner." I say.

"Ah. Oh, how was prom?" he asks.

I moan. "Horrible. You know last night when you were skeptical on my shoe choice?" I question.

"Oh gods. Was there an attack?" he asks, paling and his blue eyes widening.

I nod and say, "Yea, Callie and her army of monsters came in and caught us off guard. It was just Mo, Nico, and I. So many of the students were killed."

"Is Mo alright?" he asks.

I take a second before I reply.

"Kyra, Mo _is_ alright, right?" Lucas pushes.

"Well, see, Keegan showed up too, but he had sided with Callie. So, he was about to shoot me, and I him. We released our arrows at the exact same time. Someone jumped in front of me and stopped his arrow from reaching me." I say, looking down at my feet.

"Who was it?" Lucas asks, turning to look at Nico, thinking that maybe it had been him.

"Mo. He almost died. If I had had some nectar or ambrosia with me at the time, he wouldn't have been rushed to the hospital. So this morning, Nico and I went and I tried to give him some ambrosia but he wouldn't take it. He actually _did_ die for a couple of minutes." I say.

"Then um, the god of imagination, Leonas, but he prefers the name Walker, who Apollo has basically assigned as my bodyguard, came in and imagined him back to life after I tried bringing him back several times." I say, out of breath.

"Wait, what?" Lucas asks.

"Apollo is worried about my protection with Callie just strutting around town. Leonas owed Apollo a favor so he asked him if he would watch me and make sure I was alright." I say.

"And how long has this been going on?" Lucas asks.

"Well, I just found out about it on Sunday. It's probably been going on much longer than that though." I say.

"Huh. Good to know. So, Mo's not dead?" Lucas asks.

"Nope. He should be going home tomorrow." Nico says.

"Good. Well, stay out of trouble tonight. I'm pretty sure an attack like that will be enough for you for at least a couple of weeks." Lucas says.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." I say, grabbing Nico's hand and walking out the door.

* * *

"So, what are you going to get?" Nico asks.

We were standing in line at Tortilleria Sinaloa. The little restaurant was packed, as usual. But the wait was totally worth it. This place was possibly my favorite Mexican restaurant in Baltimore.

"I was thinking steak tacos." I say, looking up at the menu.

"What about you?" I ask, glancing at him.

"Are the tamales good?" he asks.

"_Good_? Dude, these are the best tamales in town!" I say.

He chuckles and says, "Alright then, I think I'm going to try the chicken tamales."

"Good choice." I say, nodding.

"Oh, when Lucas was asking about prom.." Nico says.

"Yea?" I ask.

"Why didn't you tell him about Walker sooner? I mean, why didn't you tell him right after you found out?" he asks. Still when he said "Walker", it sounded like he was referring to rotting internal organs.

"Why do you hate Walker so much?" I ask, turning to look at him and placing my hands on my hips.

"Why didn't you answer the question?" he asks, crossing his arms.

"Kyra!" I hear someone call, stopping me from replying.

I turn away from Nico and towards the door to see Will walking over to us.

"Hey!" I say, hugging him when he reaches us.

"Nico." Will says, giving him a nod.

"Will." Nico says, nodding as well.

"So, what's good here?" Will asks, looking up at the menu board.

"Everything." I say.

"Next in line!" the cashier calls.

We step forward, only behind one more party before it was our turn.

"So I heard on the news this morning that there was a shooting at the high school prom last night. Was that really what happened?" Will asks.

"I'm pretty sure you can guess the answer to your question." I say.

"Callie?" he asks.

"You know it." I say.

The next costumers step up to the register, ordering their food.

"Something happened last night before all the monsters came in. Someone I didn't expect to see there, was there." I say.

"Oh yea? Who was it?" Will asks.

The cashier calls us up and we order our food. She hands us our drink cups and we navigate our way through the crush of people over to the drink machine.

We end up sitting at the bar looking out the big window onto the street.

"Keegan." I say.

"What?" Will asks, confused.

"Keegan was there. And he had sided with the monsters." I say.

I was almost afraid to look at Will, fearing what his reaction to this news would be.

I do it anyway. The look on his face was the most devastated look I've ever seen on a person. His whole face seemed to have lost it's natural, happy glow. His eyes were full of sadness.

"Did he say why?" he asks, his voice horse.

"No. I didn't find out. There's something else you should know too." I say.

"What?" he asks, the dread obvious in his voice.

I take a deep breath then say, "I killed him last night."

Will's eyes widen and he practically shouts, "You what?!"

"Listen. He was about to shoot me. We released our arrows at the same time. Mine hit it's target. His though, Mo jumped in front of me just in time. He took the arrow and ended up in the hospital. He's fine now, but still. I didn't _want_ to kill him. He was my brother, after all. He just didn't give me a choice." I say.

Nico walks over to us, having just come from washing his hands in the bathroom. He sees Will's expression and gets a look of knowingness and pity on his face.

He sits on the stool next to me and quietly sips his drink.

"I know exactly how you feel right now. Do you even know how much of a shock it was last night to turn around and see him standing there?" I ask, placing a hand on Will's shoulder.

"I know. I just never thought he'd join the monsters. They killed his parents, you know." he says, glancing at me.

"They did? Then where did he stay when he wasn't at camp?" I ask.

"His god mom's. She wasn't anything like a mom though. I have no idea why his parents chose her as his guardian. Whenever he was home for the school year, she abused him. He ran away a lot." he says.

"I didn't know that." I say.

Our name is called at the counter and Will and Nico get up to go get the food. I sit there and think about what I had just learned.

I had had no idea that Keegan had been abused by his god mom. He had never hinted at it. I guess something like that is something you don't really want to talk about when you don't have to. You can just sort of forget about it for a while.

**A/N:**

**Poor Keegan. Why do you think he sided with Callie? Do you think maybe she hypnotized him into it somehow or do you think it was his own decision?**

**So, the next chapter is ****_extremely _****long. It took me about two days to write it and when I was done, I looked at how long it was and I thought, "Holy fuck. Did I really just write all that?" **

**So, subways are terrifying. On Sunday, my parents and I took the train into the city from White Plains and then we took the subway from Grand Central to the place we were meeting my cousins. Thankfully, it wasn't very crowded because it was Sunday morning, but there were still a lot of people there. It was hot and it didn't smell particularly nice down in the tunnels. Thank the gods I was able to talk my parents into taking a cab back to Grand Central to get to the train instead of taking the subway again. **

**But, besides the subway ride, I had a good time with my cousins. One of them wasn't able to make it so it was just the two sisters. Then after breakfast we walked around Central Park for a while and the older sister got us sorta lost. That was fun. Then we went to a sort of farmers' market and looked around for a little while. Then we went to the older one's apartment and we met her boyfriend, who's Scottish. After that, they had to start getting ready for work so we had to leave.**

**So now I'm home. We got back around 6 o'clock last night. Man, it felt so nice being able to sleep in my own bed with my own pillow. I swear, all three hotels we stayed at while we were gone only had feather pillows and those things suck. When you lay down on them, they just sorta squish into nothingness. And the beds weren't all that great. So my bed was very inviting last night and that was the best sleep I've had in days. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"So when's graduation again?" Will asks.

It was around eight o'clock and we had just finished dinner and were about to head our separate ways.

"Tomorrow morning at ten. You're welcome to come. You can sit with Nico and Lucas." I say, bumping Nico.

"Alright, I'll see if I can make it. It's at the high school, right?" he asks.

"Yes." I say.

"Okay. I'll call you a bit before you leave tomorrow to let you know if I'll be able to make it." he says.

"Talk to you then." I say, hugging him goodbye.

I grab Nico's hand and we shadow travel back to the house.

* * *

"I just don't see what your problem with Walker is!" I yell, frustrated.

"I don't understand why you can't just _let_ _it_ _go_!" he shouts.

"Because I want to know! I don't like it when you hide things from me that are obviously important. It scares me." I say, crossing my arms and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

He's silent for a few minutes, as if contemplating what to say, then says, "Alright, you want to know why I don't like Walker?"

"Yes!" I say, exasperated.

"You know when I told you about finding Jessamine, and how she's possibly who Bianca was reborn into?" he asks.

"Yea." I say, not quite knowing where this was going.

He sighs and says, "Let me start from the beginning. I didn't tell you where I got the lead on Jessamine."

"I got into some bad stuff that month when we didn't see each other. I went to the Black Market in the Pine Island State Forest in Koochiching, Minnesota. I found a kavoúri-lýkos there and, after I gave it a good amount of drachmas, it "looked into the past" and saw who was born with Bianca's soul." he says.

"Wait, what the hell is a kavoúri-lýkos?" I ask. I had never heard of such a creature.

"It's a mix between a crab and a wolf. It's got pinchers for hands and a wolf's head and body. It apparently has psychic powers." he says.

"Oh, okay." I say.

"Anyway, it told me of Jessamine and where to find her. I left after that. I found a good spot in the woods behind the place to shadow travel and I was about to do that when I felt a hand on my arm." he says.

"I turned around to see a woman, probably about twenty years old, standing there. She looked me in the eyes and said, "'Don't do it, Nico.'" I swear on the Styx, I've never been more terrified in my life. I mean, I'd never met this woman, much less _knew_ her. So how did she know my name?" he continues.

"Well, I shook her off and started heading deeper into the woods. I heard faint footsteps behind me so I sped up. I finally found a good shadow and dove in. The next thing I knew, I was at the place where the kavoúri-lýkos told me where Jessamine was." he says.

"What happened after that?" I ask.

"Well, I had been behind some bushes when I was watching her and her family have that picnic when I felt a hand on my arm, yet again." he says.

"I turned around and saw this tall, muscular man in a U.S. Air force uniform." he says.

"_Walker_? Why was Walker following you?" I ask.

"He told me that I couldn't approach Jessamine because whenever someone has tried finding their loved one's soul, it's messed with their minds, mixed new memories with old ones. Basically he said that if I so much as said "hello" to her, I would probably go brain dead." he says.

"What? You're mad at him because he kept you from causing brain damage to yourself? I don't see how that's something to get mad about." I say.

"That wasn't the first time I met Walker." he says, the tone of his voice darkening.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"I met him just a couple of months after Bianca died. It was about mid-February and it was freezing cold outside. I was pretty much just living on the streets, trying to stay alive. I hadn't found my way to the Underworld yet. One night, I ran into this particularly nasty cyclops in Manhattan. While I was trying to defend myself with an old baseball bat I had found, I saw the shadow of a man at the mouth of the dark alley I was in." he says.

"The shadow came closer and closer until it was right behind the advancing cyclops. The owner of the shadow stepped out from behind the monster. It had been Walker. Same uniform and everything. I let my guard down a second too long when I looked at him and the cyclops back-handed me against the wall. And Walker just stood there, doing nothing about it." he says, starting to sound a bit angry.

"When I finally managed to kill the cyclops, he was still there. I had stumbled over to him, barely conscious, and asked him why he hadn't done anything to help me. I knew that even if he _had_ been a mortal, the Mist would have made it look as if I were being mugged or something. He simply replied, "'I knew you could do it on your own.'" Then he just walked away." he says.

"Are you _sure_ that was Walker? That doesn't sound like him. I mean, he _helps_ demigods. He doesn't just let them do it all by themselves when they're obviously struggling." I say, my brain going on over-load trying to think of a logical explanation.

"Ky, I swear it was him! He had the same voice and everything." he says.

"Let me sleep on this. Or better yet, let's just ask him." I say.

"What do you mean ask him? He's not even here!" he says.

"If you recall, Apollo has him as basically my body guard. He should be close around." I say, getting off the bed and heading downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Nico asks, walking down the stairs after me.

"To get some matches and strawberries." I say.

I hear him groan, but he follows me anyway.

* * *

"You rang?" Walker asks.

We had been trying to summon him for about twenty minutes now. We had gone through several matches and burned many strawberries.

"Yes. I need to ask you a question." I say.

"What is it?" he asks.

"Okay, so Nico says that you've met before." I say.

"We have, just a week and a half ago." he says.

"No. He says you met before that. Almost _eight_ _years_ ago in an alley in Manhattan." I say, crossing my arms.

"Oh, yes. I forgot about that time." he says. He sounded a bit worn out thinking of the memory.

"What we're wondering is why you didn't help him kill that cyclops." I say.

"Alright, this is going to take some explaining." he sighs, running his fingers through his long, black hair.

* * *

"You see, I haven't always been a god. I'm actually a new god, compared to the others." Walker says.

We were all in the living room, Nico and I sitting on the couch and Walker in the overstuffed chair.

"What? You mean you were a mortal at one point?" I ask.

Walker nods. "Yes. You see, I was abandoned as a child. I don't have any memory of my parents whatsoever. All I remember is that a hermit took me in for a short time when I was a small child. I didn't have a name, so he just called me "Boy". Not a very pleasant and fun filled childhood, as I'm sure you can imagine. But, my imagination helped me. I was constantly thinking of what my parents had been like, if I had had any siblings, and what my life would have been like if they hadn't of abandoned me. The scenarios changed every day." he says.

"Anyway, after a few months of being with the hermit, he just got up a left, leaving me alone. I wandered the streets for weeks, practically starving." he says.

"That's horrible." I say, appalled that anyone would just _abandon_ their child. I mean, I know it still happens, but still. That's cruel just leaving a child to fend for themselves.

"About two weeks after the hermit had left me, I had been in an alley. It had been raining all day and I was cold and wet. I heard something bump against one of the trashcans in the alley and I looked up. I didn't see anything, so I just went back to huddling for warmth. A few minutes later, I heard it again. I looked up yet again, to see a lion creeping out from behind the trashcan. It tentatively padded over to me." he says.

"Did it hurt you?" I ask.

"Nope. It actually nudged my hand, wanting me to pet it. I was petrified, but I did it anyway. As soon as I stroked it's head, we were transported to a forest, under a canopy of trees. There were five other lions, but one of them looked older than the rest. I could tell that this was the leader of the pride." he says.

"I stayed with the lions for the rest of my childhood, moving from forest to forest. The one that I most looked up to was Leonas, the leader. They all sort of raised me, but Leonas was the one that did the most. I could understand them, too. They spoke to me in my mind." he says.

"Sometime when I was around nineteen, I got really sick. The lions were very worried about me, because I wasn't looking too well. They didn't believe I would survive through the night. I only remember glitches of it because the disease I had had, blurred my memory of it. But I do remember that at one point Leonas came up to me. He nudged my hand and I stroked his head. Then, out of nowhere, he bit me. I was so startled, I didn't even cry out. He had bitten me between my thumb and my pointer finger on my left hand." he says, showing us the scars on his hand.

"After that, I passed out. When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital. The doctors told me I had been in a coma for nearly ten years and that it was miracle I had woken up at all. I couldn't believe it. I thought that the whole time I had been with Leonas and the pride. I finally convinced myself that it must have been a dream I had had right before I had woken up from the coma." he says.

"So, over the years, the "dream" of Leonas and the lions faded. In 1960, I was twenty-seven years old, the age you have to be to join the Air Force. I wanted to serve my country, so I signed up. After eleven years of service, I made my way up to Lieutenant Colonel Walker. That was the name I had given myself; Walker. The next year, everything changed." he says.

"What happened?" Nico asks. I was a bit startled, because he actually sounded interested as to what had happened.

"I was doing my duties when I had a lion approach me on base. This was so strange, I didn't know what to think. I just stood there and stared at the creature. Then I heard a voice inside my head. I realized after a few minutes that it was the lion talking to me telepathically." he says.

"It started telling me that I had to drop out of the Force, that this hadn't been my intended destiny. I told it that it was crazy. We argued for a good five minutes. Unfortunately, a couple of Captains had been walking past at the time of the argument. They didn't see the lion. They talked to some people and word got around that I had been arguing with empty space. The General of the Air Force eventually heard of what had happened and gently had me retired from the Force." he says.

"A couple of weeks later, the same lion showed up on my doorstep. This time, I listened to it and did what it said. It somehow transported us and we went from being on my doorstep to being under a canopy of trees in a forest. There was another lion, one who looked older. I realized with a shock that this was the exact same lion from my so-called dream. It was Leonas. I figured out that the dream, hadn't been a dream at all." he says, smiling a bit.

"I talked to him and he asked me if I remembered the last time we had been together. I told him that I did and if lions can smile, he did. He then explained that he and the pride were immortal lions and when he bit me, the saliva from his mouth entering my body, made me immortal. I had god-like powers that I didn't know I had had." he says.

"Leonas told me to follow him and I did. We walked deeper and deeper into the forest, leaving behind the pride. Eventually, he hold me to touch his head. I obliged and found myself on Olympus. There, after much questioning by the Olympians, Zeus made me the god of imagination, Leonas. I had requested the name, considering that Leonas was the one who had basically raised me." he explains.

"Okay, it was nice and all hearing your life story, but what does this have anything to do with why you didn't help me in that alley?" Nico asks, getting impatient.

"I was getting to that. You know how I told you I was a Lieutenant Colonel?" he asks.

"Yea." Nico says.

"Well, when I was with the Force, I was very hard on those below me. I made them do difficult tasks that they thought they couldn't accomplish, but just needed a little push to do. Sometimes I find myself reverting back to that personality. No matter how hard I try to get rid of it, it will always be a part of me. That night in the alley was one of those nights that I was feeling like that. That's why I didn't help you. I knew in my gut that you were able to do it. Sure, it would have been easier if I had helped, but you did it all by yourself." he says.

I turn to Nico. "Satisfied now?" I ask him.

He sighs and says, "Yes. Walker, I apologize for being so un-accepting of the idea of you watching Kyra. I just thought that maybe you would do to her what you did to me."

"I haven't had a personality change in quite some time. Actually, I think the last time it happened was in that alley." he says, sounding thoughtful.

"If you're not in the Force anymore, and haven't been for several years, why do you still wear the uniform?" I ask, curious.

"I don't know. I guess it's just a part of me that I don't quite want to let go of." he says.

I start to say something, but a yawn interrupts me.

"You should get to sleep. If I'm not mistaken, you have graduation tomorrow." he says, standing up from the chair.

Nico and I rise from the couch, stretching our stiff limbs out.

"Yea, I suppose you're right." I say.

"Well, thank you for straightening all this out and clearing the confusion, Walker." I say.

"No problem. I _am_ a helper god, it's what I do. Help demigods in need, whether it's defeating an army of monsters or clearing confusion." he says.

"Goodnight, Walker." I say.

"Goodnight. Sleep well." he says, opening the door and waking out.

I look at Nico and say, "Can we go to bed now?"

He laughs and says, "Yea, c'mon."

**A/N:**

**I told you it was a long chapter. What did you guys think of Walker's back-story? All props go to Star Holder Commander. SHC came up with Walker and him being abandoned as a child and also being raised by lions. I just wrote it down :)**

**Also, what did you guys think about Nico's trip to the black market? I wanted him to go sorta dark for that month he didn't see Kyra, and I figured that was an excellent excuse for it! Oh, and kavoúri-lýkos means "crab-wolf" in Greek. It's a monster I made up.**

**So, this morning I had to wake up at six. "Why in Hades would you do that?!" you ask. Well, my mom, brother, sister-in-law, friend, and my mom's friend did a 5k today and it started at eight. It was highly recommended that we get there forty-five minutes to an hour early, so that's why I had to wake up at six. It was called "Color Me Rad", and if you don't know what that is, throughout the race, volunteers throw colored corn starch at you. It's really fun, but you end up inhaling a lot of the stuff and can't breathe at times...**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Ky. Ky, c'mon, wake up." someone says.

I squint open my eyes, bright sunshine blinding me for a second. When my eyes finally get adjusted to the brightness, I see Nico looking at me.

"Sleep well?" he asks.

"Eh, sorta. I couldn't fall asleep for a bit because I was thinking about Walker." I say.

I look at my phone and see that it's almost 8:30. I toss the blanket off of myself and get out of bed.

"So, what do you think I should wear for graduation?" I ask, opening up my closest.

"Well…" Nico says, ginning at me.

"No, no. Not like that. Like, should I wear a dress or jeans and a tee shirt?" I ask.

He gets off the bed and walks over to me. He gently moves me out of the way and starts looking through my closet. He looks at a couple of a the very few blouses I have and shakes his head.

He walks away from the closet and over to my dresser. He opens up the correct drawers and picks out a pair of dark gray skinny jeans that have a hole on each knee, and my baseball tee-shirt with a sun printed on the front.

He comes back over to me and hands the outfit to me.

"I'd say that your gold bracelet would go nicely with this." he says.

I look at the outfit and then back up at him.

"Since when are you a fashion guru?" I ask, surprised.

"I am a man of many talents." he says, smirking.

I laugh and say, "Sure, Nico. Whatever you say."

* * *

"Ready?" Lucas asks.

He was adjusting his black and gold paisley bow-tie. Along with the bow-tie, he was wearing a white, long-sleeved button up, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was also wearing khaki pants and black and gray saddle shoes.

I had to smile at Lucas. He looked like a performer from one of the jazz bars downtown.

"Yea." I say, holding up the zipper-bag that contained my blue cap and gown.

"Alright then, let's get going." he says.

* * *

When we were almost to the high school, my phone started playing Will's ringtone.

"Hey." I answer.

"I'm about to leave. Have Lucas text me where they're sitting and I'll come find him and Nico." he says.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit." I say, then end the call.

"Who was that?" Nico asks.

"Will. He's going to sit with you and Lucas." I say.

"Ah." he says.

* * *

Chattering. Loud, non-stop chattering. All the voices of everyone in the large auditorium were bouncing off the walls.

I was sitting with my fellow students who's last name began with "H". We were all crowded into the fourth row on the far right.

I didn't know where Nico, Lucas, and Will were sitting. There were so many other families and friends of all the students. This made me nervous. I had no idea where Callie was right now. For all I knew, she could be up in the stands, just waiting to strike again.

Finally, after sitting in the uncomfortable, plastic chair for what felt like forever, and also trying to keep myself calm, the principal of the school walks up on stage.

He clears his throat and starts talking into the microphone. I wasn't really paying attention. I just wanted to get my diploma and get out of here.

"Now, I realize we couldn't be joined by many of the students that were killed in the shooting at prom a couple of days ago. But, let's try and keep their spirits alive!" he says.

Eventually, after droning on about the school year, he calls up a couple of the teachers and starts calling off names and giving away diplomas.

I sort of zone out, feeling a bit tired. Walker coming over and pretty much telling Nico and I his life story and how he became a god was a lot to take in. It took me a while to finally fall asleep last night.

"Kyra. C'mon, we need to start heading up to the stage." one of my classmates bumps my arm, breaking into my thoughts.

I look up and see that several of the students ahead of us were already seated again and all had their diplomas in hand.

I quickly stand up and start walking with the long line of "H"s and up to the stage.

As I get closer to the stage, my stomach starts tying itself in knots. This felt like the first time I had gone up on stage at camp. Now that wasn't a big deal because I knew everyone at camp, but here I didn't know anyone. Or at least, I didn't really talk to any of these people.

So, naturally, my mind starts to think about tripping while going off-stage and making a fool out of myself.

By the time my name gets called, I'm all jittery. It also didn't help that when I stepped onto the stage, I hear Nico, Lucas, and Will start to cheer me on.

I step up to the teacher who has the diplomas and she gives me mine. I couldn't see what it actually looked like on the inside because it was rolled up and tied neatly with blue and yellow ribbon, the school's colors.

I glide off of the stage, proudly holding my diploma, and walk back to my seat.

**A/N:**

**And there you have it. Graduation. Sort of a filler chapter in my opinion, but oh well!**

**So, my hair is now blue! I got it dyed yesterday and it was ****_very _****messy. We had to use a sort of hair dye remover to get it off my skin. But, it looks really cool! It's reeeeeally dark blue. In some spots it almost looks black. I like it a lot better than the red :)**

**I hope everyone has a good rest of the day, I'll talk to you guys later! :)**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"So, do you want to go get lunch?" Lucas asks.

We were outside of the school now, graduation having ended about thirty minutes ago.

"Sure." I say.

"What do you want? You pick." he says.

"How about Chinese?" I ask.

"Sounds good. You coming, Will?" Lucas asks, turning to look at him.

"Yes, sir." he says.

"Alright, let's go then." Lucas says, heading to the car.

Before he turned, I saw a bit of smug expression on his face. I guess Lucas liked being called "sir".

* * *

We ended up going to Ding How, a really good Chinese restaurant about fifteen minutes away from the high school.

After I ordered, I told the others that I needed some air. I got up from the table and went outside. For some reason, I felt like there was something I needed to see or do out there.

When I got outside, I looked around, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I walk around to the side of the building where there was an alley.

I see a shadow suddenly move behind the dumpster. I sneak forward and towards the dumpster, my hand hovering over my sun pendant.

When I look around the dumpster, I don't see anything. I shrug off the uneasy feeling I have and tell myself that it was probably the shadow of a rat I had seen.

As I start heading out of the alley and back to the front of the restaurant, I hear something. I freeze and slowly turn back around.

Standing by the dumpster where I had just been, was Callie.

She was casually filing her nails, or more like talons. She glances up and grins at me, revealing two sharp, gleaming fangs.

"Well, how nice of you to join me." she says.

Anger churns in the pit of my stomach and before I know what's happening, I'm on top of her, an arrow notched and just inches away from her forehead.

Both she and I were breathing heavily.

"A little feisty today, I see." she says, smirking.

I pull the string back a little more on my bow, just about ready to let it go.

"Do you have any idea what hell I've been through over the past year?" I ask.

"Well…" she says.

"Do you?!" I shout.

I don't give her time to answer.

"You-you did this to me. You ruined my life! You nearly killed my brother four years ago. Then you made my mom forget all about me. Then, you drove my parents apart and therefore caused my mom to become a drunk." I say, the anger building in my voice.

"Then, if all _that_ wasn't enough, you decided to finish the job and actually kill my brother, resulting in my mother going insane right as she was getting better. And you're _still_ trying to make my life a living hell. Haven't I been through enough?!" I scream at her, angry tears streaming down my face.

"No." she says, her voice shaking as she struggles to get out from under me.

"Why?" I ask, exasperated.

"Because your mother ruined my life. I will not rest until she and her children are dead." she says, giving up on breaking free.

She starts to laugh. The laugh turns into a manic cackle, bouncing all around me on the brick walls of the alley.

"Kyra?" someone asks at the mouth of the alley.

The sudden voice startled me. I jumped and lost my control over Callie. She saw her chance and jumped up, knocking me on my back. My bow flies out of my hands and onto the dirty concrete.

"Kyra!" it was Nico.

I feel his hands on me as he picks me up off the ground and helps me to my feet. My bow and arrows had changed back to the pendant and it was safely attached to the leather necklace, along with my camp beads, around my neck.

I start to run towards Callie, but Nico holds me back.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shriek at him.

"Oh, Kyra. You'll never get rid of me. Little do you know, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I'll see you sooner than you think." she says, grinning.

Then, she runs out of the alley and out of sight.

"She got away." I say, stomping my foot, frustrated.

"And you stopped me! What the fuck, Nico?!" I yell.

"What would you have done? Killed her again? You know she's only going to come back." Nico says, taking my hand.

It was weird how he could basically just voice my thoughts. I guess that's what happens when you spend four years being with someone almost every day.

I sigh and look up at the slightly cloudy sky. "I know. I just wish she would die and stay dead." I say.

"C'mon. Let's go eat lunch." he says, leading me out of the alley and back into the restaurant.

**A/N:**

**Nothing good ever happens in alleys. And what do you think Callie meant when she said she had a few more tricks up her sleeve?**

**I just feel awful today guys. Not like, sick awful. But really down and lonely awful. Part of it is because my mom was recently promoted at work, so she's working more hours. She's at work a lot now and usually it's from 5-11 at night. Also, I haven't seen my best friend in about a week. The reason for this is, she blew off Thursday's pottery class because she was really tired and had a lot of homework to do. I can understand that. But today, she texted me and told me she couldn't come because one of her friends spent the night last night and didn't want to come to class with her. My thought to her friend was, "Nobody fucking asked you to come anyway!" I mean, why couldn't she just go home?**

**I think I just need a hug. One of those good, long hugs that are so fucking amazing. That, and a good cry.**

**I've also been pretty stressed lately. I've been really busy the past few weeks, going from place to place and having to do a bunch of stuff, on top of school and writing. I also studied for my learner's permit test yesterday with the practice tests online. And guess what! I aced them! So, I think I'm going to take those a few more times, and then sometime next week, I'm going to go in and take the actual test for it.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Ky, Mo's here!" Lucas calls from downstairs.

"Alright!" I say.

It was nearly dark outside and I was upstairs with Nico, packing for camp. I had most of the clothes out that I wanted to bring, all I had to do was fold them and fit it all into my backpack.

"Hey, where'd you go to after graduation?" Mo asks, entering the bedroom.

"We went to Ding How for lunch." I say.

"Gotcha." he says, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to Nico.

"Are you two just going to sit there and watch me pack?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup." Mo says at the same time as Nico says, "Pretty much."

I sigh and roll my eyes at them, grinning.

"So, what do you think this summer has in store for us?" I ask.

"I'm hoping not any unexpected quests." Mo says.

"Yea, I'd kinda just like to be at camp for a whole summer and not have to go on any quests." Nico says.

"Me too. Maybe this summer will be a bit uneventful. Four years straight of eventful summers has sorta drained me." I say.

A few minutes pass and I'm almost done packing my clothes. Just as I place the last shirt in the backpack, I hear voices downstairs.

"-right upstairs." I hear Lucas say.

Then I hear light footsteps on the stairs. I open my door a bit more to see Apollo standing right outside it.

He looked the same as he had last year; around nineteen years old, the same golden hair, and eyes that glowed like the sun itself.

"Oh, um, hi." I say, stepping back so he could come in.

"Hello, Kyra." Apollo says, walking in.

"Nico, Mo." he says, acknowledging their presence.

"Lord Apollo. It's nice to see you." Mo says.

"Would you two mind if I talked to Kyra for a bit?" Apollo asks.

"Not at all." Nico says, getting off the bed and grabbing Mo by the shirt.

Nico drags Mo out of the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

Apollo walks around the room, making his way over to the French doors. He opens them and a nice breeze flows in. He steps out onto the balcony and leans against the railing, looking out at the docks.

"You've gone through a few rough years, Kyra." he says.

I step out onto the balcony and stand beside him.

"Rough? The past four years is the _definition_ of rough." I say.

He chuckles and says, "I know it's been hard, having to endure what you have. Just know that it will all get better. I know these things, being the god of prophecy and all."

"I have a question." I say.

"As long as it's not about the future, I should be able to answer it. Shoot." he says, gazing up at the rising moon and slowly appearing stars.

"I'm sure you're aware of my healing powers." I say.

"Yes, quite aware." he says.

"What I want to ask is, why do I have those powers? I mean, Hypnos told me that he had only encountered one other Apollo child with the same powers. Why do I have them?" I ask.

"Well Kyra, the power is extremely rare, as I'm sure you've guessed." he says.

I nod.

"That power is only granted to the best of my children. When the child is born, the Fates and I look into it's future. We look at the many different paths it will have in life and try to determine if it's worthy of having that ability." he explains.

"I bet that takes time." I say.

"Oh yes, much, _much_ time." he says.

"Anyway, after all that's done, I grant the child the power, usually a month or so before it's born." he says.

"So, let me see if I've got this right. You only give this healing power to the best of your kids, the ones that will accomplish the best things in life?" I ask.

"Yes, and those who will truly put their power to use. The ones that will bring back someone even if they don't deserve to live, giving them a second chance." he says.

"And there was only that one other child thousands of years ago and me? That's pretty sad, if I do say so myself." I say.

"Yes, it is. As we both know, most demigods don't grow up in as nice of an environment as you did. But, it can't be helped." he says, shrugging.

"Also, when I tried bringing Mo back to life in the hospital yesterday, why didn't it work? Why did Walker have to come in and imagine him back to life?" I ask.

"You have an extremely limited amount of time to bring someone back to life. Because in the time that they're dead, their soul is being transported to the Underworld. You only have a few minutes before they step in line to be sorted out or judged. Mo had been dead for a little more than three minutes, I've discovered that three minutes is about the max time you have to bring someone back. Sometimes you get lucky and get a few extra minutes, but that doesn't happen often. Nico was one of those cases." he explains.

"So, I couldn't bring Mo back because his soul was already in the process of being judged?" I ask.

He nods and says, "Exactly."

We stand on the balcony for a bit, watching the moon rise fully in the clear night sky.

"I assume you had a reason for coming to see me?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"Ah, yes." he says, reaching into his back pocket.

He pulls out something that glints gold in the moonlight. He uncurls his fingers from the object and I see a golden iPod touch. Well, sorta. Instead of having the well-known apple on the back, it had a lyre and it said, "aMuse" under it in cursive writing.

He hands it to me. The gold was cool to the touch and smooth.

He smiles and says, "I've heard of how much you love your music. I had Hephaestus design this especially for you and Hecate enchant it."

"See, it's indestructible, able to survive even after being dunked in water or lava or any other harmful substance. You can't break it. As soon as you turn it on, it scans your fingerprint. It sorta just stores your whole brain on there, all your thoughts and plans. That was Hephaestus' doing." he says.

"Hecate enchanted it so that it will return to you if you loose it, like your necklace. She also enabled it to have unlimited space, so you can have an infinite amount of songs on there." he continues.

"And I did a little of my music magic on it. After you've turned it on and it does it's little print scan, it automatically knows what kind of music you listen to as well. It puts all the music you know and love on there, as well as new music it thinks you'll like." he says, looking proud of himself.

I look from him to the device and back again.

"Well, do you like it?" he asks, sounding nervous because I hadn't said anything.

I throw my arms around him and say, "I love it. This is the best and most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me. Thank you."

He hugs me back and says, "You're welcome."

**A/N:**

**I would kill to have that as a graduation gift. I'm constantly having to trade out my albums on my iPod because I have so many songs. But really, how awesome would it be to have one of those? Indestructible and unlimited space. Pretty kick-ass, if I do say so myself.**

**So, guess what! I got my learners permit today! Man, I was so nervous and it didn't help that I had to wait about two fucking hours to take the test. Their computers were running extremely slow so that's why it took ages. **

**My mom actually took me, but she had to be at work by 12 so my dad came up and she left after that. Then, after I finally got the temporary paper in place of the actual permit (they send it in the mail) we left and I drove... On an actual road with actual traffic! Good lord, I was terrified the first couple of minutes, but I got used to it pretty quickly. So, I drove us to the best Chinese place in town and we had lunch, then I drove us home. Now, my next challenge is to learn how to drive my mom's stick shift... That'll be a bit tricky...**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Well, I'll be off to work then. I'll see you tomorrow before you head out for camp." Lucas says, grabbing his keys and wallet.

"Okay, goodnight." I say.

It was around eight o'clock. Apollo had left soon after he had given me my graduation gift. Nico, Mo, and I were in the living room, talking about what we were going to do at camp and what fighting skills we needed to improve on.

The front door closes and a couple of minutes later I hear Lucas's car start up.

"I think I need to start carrying a dagger again. I mean, it comes in handy. I'm just a bit scared that something like last year will happen again." I say.

"Ky, I'm sure you'll find a better place to sheath it. I mean, it was strapped to your leg. It's pretty easy for someone to just sneak up behind you and slip it out of there without you noticing." Nico says.

"Yea. You could try the arm sheaths like I use." Mo suggests.

"I guess. I need to practice with it again since it _has_ been a year." I say.

Mo stands up from his seat and stretches.

"Well you two, I need to get going. I haven't even started packing yet and my mom wants to leave really early." he says.

"Have fun with that." I say.

"I'm not looking forward to the ride to camp tomorrow. Ever since my little trip to the hospital, my mom has been all uptight about where I am and how long I stay out. So packing isn't what I'm dreading. I just throw in a couple of shirts and a few pairs of jeans and then I'm done." he says, shrugging.

I sigh and roll my eyes. I will never understand how some boys can just wear the same clothes every day, even after they're noticeably dirty.

"Alright then, we'll see you sometime tomorrow. Good luck with the car ride." I say.

Mo nods and does a peace sign with his fingers. I shake my head and smile. He could be so funny sometimes when he was leaving. He opens the door and heads out. I hear him as he makes his way to the street to try and catch a cab home.

"Wanna watch a movie?" I ask.

"Sure." Nico says.

"You pick, I'll pop the popcorn." I say, walking to the kitchen.

* * *

Nico picked out Beetlejuice, one of my all-time favorite weird movies. My mom always loved this movie and I've been watching it since I was a little kid.

Right at the part where the dinner guests are possessed and start singing "The Banana Boat Song", I hear something smack against the window.

Nico groans and looks up at the ceiling saying, "What was that?"

I chuckle and pause the movie, getting off the couch.

I walk over to the window and move aside the curtain. I squint and see that there was a shadow of something moving in the yard.

"Uh, Nico..?" I ask, turning to look at him.

"What?" he asks, getting off the couch.

I turn back to the window just as a bright green acid melts away a sizable hole in the glass and sprays all over my face. I fall to my knees, screaming in agony and clutching at my face. It felt like my skin was being peeled off inch by inch and then being doused with pepper spray.

"Kyra!" Nico shouts.

He runs over to me and scoops me up off the ground, quickly carrying me into the kitchen.

He sets me down in a chair and then starts frantically searching the drawers, trying to find some ambrosia or nectar.

"Ah-ha!" he says, hurrying back over to me.

I feel like cool water is being poured over my burned face. I exhale and relax a little, the pain lessening by the second.

I squint open my eyes to see Nico hovering over me, a worried look on his face.

"What was outside?" I ask, quickly standing up from the chair.

"By the color of the acid that sprayed through the window and how it effected your skin, I'd say we're up against a baby Hydra." he says.

I groan and look up at the ceiling. "Why, that's all I want to know. Why is it always us that get stuck with the acid or fire-breathing monsters?" I ask.

"I don't know. C'mon, let's go take care of this." he sighs, grabbing his sword.

I sigh and touch my pendant, following Nico outside.

* * *

Turns out, Nico had been right about it being a Hydra. Except it was more along the lines of a teenage Hydra, not a baby. It was extremely temperamental, and it was shedding it's reptilian scales everywhere.

"Ky!" Nico shouts.

I jump aside as a stream of bright green acid shoots past me. I quickly look to where Nico's voice had come from and see that he was right by where the monster's heart should be.

He keeps motioning for me to shoot at it. He had dropped his sword and it was all the way across the yard, so he wasn't able to kill it himself. Even if he _did_ have his sword, it wouldn't be able to penetrate deep enough into it's heart to kill the monster.

The Hydra starts to chase me, some of it's heads darting forward and trying to snatch me up, while others were trying to hit me with it's acid spit.

"Stall it!" I shout at Nico as I run past him.

He quickly runs over to his sword and grabs it. Then he jumps in front of the dragon-like creature, waving his sword around, getting it's attention almost immediately.

I take my chance to run around the thing and get a perfect aim on it's heart. The skin was pulsing in that area.

I take out an arrow and look at it before I notch it. It was one of my explosive arrows. This one happened to explode twice. Once as soon as it hit it's target, and again three seconds later.

I guess the second explosion is just to ensure the death of the thing you're trying to kill.

The Hydra starts to move again, starting to chase and spit at Nico as it had been to me moments ago.

I sigh. This would be so much easier if it would just hold still for ten seconds.

I notch my arrow and follow the monster's path as it chases Nico.

"Kyra! Kill it already!" Nico yells, breathless.

"Hold on! I have to wait for the right moment!" I say.

"Well, could you hurry it up? My lungs feel like they're about to explode!" he says.

"Gotcha." I say, under my breath.

I release the arrow right at that instant. It zooms through the air and pierces the Hydra's heart, exploding.

The monster stops chasing Nico and just stands there, as if in a trance. Then, the second explosion goes off and it disintegrates into a pile of the sulfurous yellow dust.

"So, the question is," I say, walking over to Nico and breathing hard.

"Was that just some random Hydra that picked up our scent, or did Callie send it?" I ask.

"I'm fairly certain Callie sent it." a voice says behind us.

Nico and I nearly jump out of our skins. We turn around to see a man in a police uniform. His hair was dark and shaved nice and neat, like a crew-cut. His skin was relatively pale and he was tall.

He walks over to the Hydra head that had been left as a spoil of war.

He kicks at it and says, while pouting slightly, "Man, I was going to turn that thing into a Mercedes Benz."

"_Walker_?" I ask.

He turns around and says, "Why don't we go inside? I know someone who can fix that window."

**A/N:**

**Kyra and Nico just can't ever seem to catch a break, can they? I suppose it's nearly impossible, since they're both powerful demigods. Oh, it just gets so much more better in the next chapter and chapter 36 is just- god, so much happens. **

**Oh, and Bettlejuice actually is one of my favorite movies. It's excellent to watch it any time, but Halloween is my favorite time to watch it. **

**I want to know if it's possible to kill someone with a needle tool. Good god, the older of the two brothers at class is just so fucking awful. And I don't get it. He's really nice to me when my friend isn't there (likewise to her when I'm not there) and when she's there, he's just mean and he always interrupts me when I'm in the middle of a conversation. And he's always so confused when my friend and I just start ignoring him towards the middle or end of the class. Also, one of his favorite things to do is contradict me. I'll be explaining how to do something to one of the newer students and he just comes in and says that that's not how you do it. Really? I've been taking this class for FIVE FUCKING YEARS and how long has he been taking it? A year. Less if you take away the time he was in Greece this summer visiting his family**. **I mean, for fuck's sake, he needs to understand that I know more about certain subjects than he does.**

**Going away from that frustrating subject, I drove my mom's car around town yesterday! And I'm still alive! I killed it a few times, but besides that, I think I did pretty well. We went to the movies and saw The Mortal Instruments (holy fuck it was amazing! Best adaption to a book I've ever seen, besides the Harry Potter movies). Then after that, I drove to the grocery store and then home... In the pouring rain. It started raining about five minutes after we left Kroger. **

**M/A:**

**Alright, most of you are probably wondering what the fuck "M/A" means. Well, I'll tell you. It means Music Appreciation. I decided that at the end of each A/N, I'm going to start doing M/As. Basically, I'll do a couple of paragraphs talking about what I'm listening to at the moment and also what song I'm obsessed with at the moment. So, you may choose to read it or not. **

**Right now I've got my iPod on shuffle and the song "The Good Life" by Three Days Grace just came on. Holy fuck, this song is just so perfect. It's got an excellent beat and it literally just makes me want to sing it at the top of my lungs and jump around and start a mosh pit or something... 'Course, I can't do that because I'm at work with my mom right now. What I get from the lyrics, a lower-class guy wants to be famous or something like that. He wants to be noticed, not just stepped over and ignored. He finally gets there and figures out that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. **

**The song I'm completely obsessed with and can't stop listening to right now is yet another TDG song. It's called "Expectations." It's yet another song with an incredible beat. From it, I get that a girl runs away from home, hoping to become a huge movie star, and her expectation of that, get's shot down. She ends up living with a deadbeat guy. One day she buys and winning lottery ticket, but falls asleep before she can see that it won. Her so called "boyfriend" stays up and then steals the winning ticket and her car. Later, she tracks down her ex-boyfriend and tries to kill him and ends up getting arrested, completely demolishing her chances of becoming famous.**

**So, that's today's Music Appreciation. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll talk to you later!**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"So what makes you think it was Callie who sent it?" I ask.

"Didn't you run into her today in an alley?" he asks.

"Yea, how did you know that?" I ask.

"I have ways of finding things out." he says.

"What did she say to you?" he asks.

"Well, I actually did most of the talking.." I say.

"What did she say? It's important that we know what exactly she says, she could have hinted at where she's going or what she's going to do next." he urges.

"I had been telling her about all the stuff she's put me through and I asked her if she knew how hard it's been on me. I also asked her why she's been doing all this to me." I say.

"And she told me it was because my mom had ruined her life. I already knew this, but I figured that she would stop after killing John and getting my mom sent to John Hopkins for treatment. She told me that she wouldn't rest until my mom's dead and also until I'm dead. She also said that she had a few tricks up her sleeve and she'd see me soon. " I say.

Walker sighs and runs his fingers through his long black hair. He had changed his appearance back to normal once we had gotten back into the house.

"Oh, this isn't good." he says.

"What? What do you think she's going to do?" I ask.

"If what I'm thinking is true, we need to get to John Hopkins. I think Callie is going to try and kill your mother tonight." he says.

* * *

"So what are we going to do? Just break my mom out of there and take her to the house? I doubt that's a good idea." I say.

We were currently right outside the hospital doors. The outside of the building looked the same as it had last time I had been here. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"You have a better plan?" Walker asks, raising an eyebrow.

I sigh and say, "Well, no."

He starts to glow. It lasts for a good five seconds before it fades. When it's faded all the way, I see he's disguised as a doctor. His name tag attached to his white smock read, "Dr. Luis."

"Alright then, let's go." he says, walking through the doors.

I look at Nico and shrug, then follow Walker, or rather, Dr. Luis, into the hospital.

* * *

"But doctor, you just left an hour ago. You're off for the night." one of the nurses says.

We had gotten into the hospital alright, but one of the nurses had stopped Walker. Nico and I were hiding just around the corner so she wouldn't see us.

"I realize that, uh, Sarah." he says, looking at her name tag.

"But I have a feeling that one of my patients needs me." he says.

"Oh yea? And which patient is this?" Sarah asks, crossing her arms.

"Mrs. Michelle Hale." he says.

She gives him a blank stare.

He sighs, rather dramatically, and throws his hands up in the air.

"You know. Room 202, schizophrenia." he says, rolling his eyes.

"Oh! Yes, Mrs. Hale." she says, nodding.

"Well, you checked on her before you left. Said she was fine, don't you remember?" she asks, grabbing a chart from behind the nurses' station.

"Yes, I do, Sarah. I just have a feeling that something is wrong, that's all." he says.

"Well, there's _obviously_ something _wrong_ with her. I mean, for God's sake, she's here." Sarah says.

Nico has to hold me back behind the corner. I wanted to rip this nurse's face off. I mean, what she was saying was true, there _was_ something wrong with my mom. But she shouldn't be allowed to say so out loud.

"Can I just see the patient?" Walker asks, exasperated.

"Well, I suppose since you _are_ her doctor." Sarah says.

"Erm, don't you have a couple of patients to attend to?" Walker asks.

"Oh! Thank you for reminding me. Mr. Collins needs a sponge bath." she says, scurrying away.

When she's out of sight and earshot, Walker motions for Nico and I to come out.

"Well, she was certainly a pain." I say, walking toward the elevators.

"You could say that again." Walker sighs.

**A/N:**

**Surprise update, 'cause I'm at work with my mom and I'm bored... That and I've written a lot since yesterday...**

**Just a short little filler, but just wait for Tuesday's chapter. It gets a bit crazy, to say the least.**

**M/A:**

**Ahh. M/A time. I think I'm going to like doing this little part of the A/N a lot. **

**Where shall I even begin to describe how much I love the song "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance? Man, it's just such an amazing song. I think my favorite part of it is towards the end where Gerard is singing really quietly going, **

**"'****_I'm okay_****'"**

**And then it explodes with, **

**"'****_I'm okaaaayy!_**

**_I'm okay, now_****  
****_(I'm okay, now)_******

**_But you really need to listen to me_****  
****_Because I'm telling you the truth_****  
****_I mean this, I'm okay!_****  
****_(Trust Me)_******

**_I'm not okay_****  
****_I'm not okay_****  
****_Well, I'm not okay_****  
****_I'm not o-fucking-kay_****  
****_I'm not okay_****  
****_I'm not okay_****  
****_(Okay)_****'"**

**It's just-I could go on for days about how much I love this song. If you've never listened to this song before, ****_listen to it. _****You won't regret it.**

**Till Tuesday,**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngleo25**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

As soon as the elevator doors opened, all three of us rushed out and started running to my mom's room.

When we got there, we found the door was cracked open slightly. My stomach instantly tied itself into a million knots. This was _not_ a good sign.

Nico and I get out our weapons and I carefully nudge open the heavy wooden door.

It was dark, except for the silvery moonlight pouring in from the barred window.

We creep in and look around. I look at the bed and see my mom's sleeping body.

I do a mental sigh of relief. I guess one of the nurses just didn't close the door all the way while leaving the room.

"What a beautifully destroyed woman." a voice whispers in the corner.

Before I can notch an arrow, two blue orbs of light smack into Nico and Walker's chests. The orb sort of sinks into their skin and the blue glow of it spreads all over their bodies. They can't move. It's like they're frozen.

Then it hits me. They _are_ frozen. The orbs of light were some kind of freezing spell or enchantment.

I turn away from them and within two seconds, I have an arrow notched and aimed to where the voice had come from.

"Oh, Kyra. Haven't we been through this enough? There's no need for the weapons." Callie says, stepping into the moonlight.

"And we've been over _that_. Whenever you're involved, there is." I say.

She sighs and lets her head fall back. "I'm so tired, Kyra." she says.

She truly _did_ sound tired. Sort of like a mother who's been dealing with her screaming baby all day, on top of answering a non-stop ringing phone and house work.

"What are you tired of, Callie?" I ask, curious.

"Trying to kill you and your family. I've tried so many times and you _just_ _won't_ _die_." she says, sounding irritated.

"What can I say? The Hales are a hard family to just kill off." I say, shrugging.

"I've realized that." she growls.

"Callie, why can't we just make this between you and me? My mother is useless. She can't do a thing to make up for, as you claim, "ruining your life." Why can't you just settle it with me? Kill me?" I ask.

I knew that if Nico could talk right now, he'd be trying to shut me up.

"That's not a bad idea…" she says, pondering my suggestion.

"But I'd rather just kill you both." she says.

She snaps her fingers and the newly made-over Drew appears out of nowhere by my mom's bed-side.

She grins at me, revealing those ugly long fangs. Then she looks down at my mom and before I can react, plunges her teeth into her throat.

"No!" I scream, shooting the arrow at Drew.

It slices the top of her hand and she jerks up, yelling in pain.

"Too late." Callie tisks.

I look, mournfully, to my mother. Callie was right. Her throat was completely ripped out, leaving a gory mess of blood and skin tissue.

I turn back to look at Callie. She had a smug look on her face.

"Why must you take everything away from me?" I ask.

"You already know the answer." she says.

I take out an arrow, ready to shoot her again, sending her to Tartarus for what felt like the millionth time. Then, yet another unexpected thing happens.

She pulls out a mason jar. It was full of a gray powder that shimmered green when it was moved around.

Greek fire. That's what was in the jar. Or at least, un-ignited Greek fire.

I inhale sharply and say, "Shit."

"Ah. You see what I've got here, huh?" Callie says, giving me an evil grin.

"All I have to do is light it up and this whole place is gone." she says, revealing a pack of matches.

"Callie, don't." I say, my eyes widening.

"Aw, too bad your pleas don't work on me." she says, striking one of the matches and dropping it into the mason jar.

"C'mon, Drew. We must go." Callie says, quickly walking out with Drew trailing behind her.

"What am I going to do?" I ask, panicking.

I hear a sort of cracking sound behind me, kind of like ice breaking. I spin around and see Nico and Walker starting to move their arms.

"Wha-what happened?" Nico asks, shivering and hugging himself.

"No time to explain. Callie just lit up a jar of Greek fire and we've got about two minutes to get out of here." I say.

"Pull a fire alarm. This building needs to be evacuated immediately." Walker says.

He and Nico start to run out, but I stay by my mom's bed.

Nico notices I'm not with them and comes back.

"What the hell are you doing?! We need to get out of here!" he says.

"I'm not leaving her to burn. John burned and I'm not letting her." I say.

He gives me a look then carefully scoops my mom up in his arms.

He runs out and I'm right on his heels.

Just as we get to the lobby, I hear an explosion.

Tons of people were pouring out of the doors, trying to get out. Nurses, doctors, patients. Everyone.

"There you two are! I was worried sick!" I hear someone say.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and look to see Walker. He was no longer disguised as Dr. Luis, but back to his normal self.

He guides Nico and I through the crush of people and out the hospital doors.

Just as we get into the parking lot, the whole second floor explodes in green flames. The fire quickly spreads into the upper floors of the hospital and soon, the whole building starts to collapse.

Before I even realize it though, I'm back in my living room, Walker's hand still on my shoulder and Nico standing beside me, holding my dead mother.

**A/N:**

**I told you it was about it get crazy. The next chapter is a bit of a filler, but 38 is longer and more things happen, believe it or not. **

**So, you guys remember Keegan, right? Kyra's other brother from camp who turned and tried to kill Kyra at prom? And you know how a few chapters back when Kyra and Nico were at that Mexican restaurant with Will and he told Kyra that Keegan had been abused by his god-mom? Well, I decided that I'm going to write a story about Keegan, and what his life was like before he came to camp. I've already started working on it, but I haven't gotten very far. It should be interesting, also pretty sad, so if any of you are going to read it, be prepared when I publish it.**

**M/A:**

**So, today in Music Appreciation, I think the best feeling on the planet is when you find songs that you had no idea existed by your favorite band. Yesterday I found Green Day's cover of "Working Class Hero" originally by John Lennon. Oh man, that song is just so perfect in all ways. The lyrics the music, just everything. I also found a bunch of other GD songs I didn't know existed as well as some MCR songs.**

**A good song you guys should check out is "Trap Doors" by Broken Bells. It sounds sorta psychedelic, really. **

_**"'Walk out before you make it worse on yourself'"**_

**and **

_**"'And close your eyes to us  
Fight fire  
Trap doors to endless wisdom  
Young lad, have we grown too tired  
Longing to find'"**_

**I think those are my favorite verses from this song. "Trap doors to endless wisdom" sorta reminds me of Mark of Athena when Annabeth is trying to navigate her way to the Athena Parthenos. **

**Really though, just check out Broken Bells. They're a fucking awesome band that hardly anyone knows about. For some reason, "Trap Doors" reminds of The Smiths' song "Asleep," even though they sound nothing alike.**

**Another good song is "Sometimes" by Papa Roach. I love how it starts out soft and it sounds like it's going to be a kind of love song or something, and then it just explodes into rock music and it's just amazing. I love it when musicians do that with their songs. **

_**"'I look around **_

_**Sometimes I get sad**_

_**'Cause I don't know which way to go**_

_**I look around**_

_**Sometimes I get sad, **_

_**'Cause my life is spinning out of control'"**_

_****_**That's the chorus of the song. I absolutely love those lyrics because they're so simple to understand and easy to relate to. You don't have to try and decipher them, you already know what they mean the first time you hear the song.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

I'm shocked still as I watch Nico gently set my mother down on the kitchen table. The blood and gore was caked all over the front of her body.

Nico had a fair share of it on himself where it had run onto him while he was carrying her. He walks past me and out of the kitchen, probably going upstairs to shower off and change clothes.

"What are you going to do to her? Imagine her back like you did Mo?" I ask Walker.

I grab a clean dishtowel from the cabinet and soak it with warm water. I fill up a large plastic container with water as well and bring both over to the table. Then I start washing the blood off of her.

"Yes. But it will take a bit longer with you mother, since she's been dead longer than Mo had been. Also, she's lost a lot of blood. That will take a few minutes to replace that." he says.

"Well, how long do you think it will take?" I ask.

"Hm. Maybe five minutes? Maybe a little longer." he says.

"Okay. That'll give me time to try and find something she can wear." I say, taking the blood-soaked towel and dirty water to the sink.

I pour it out and then turn to Walker.

"Well, do what you gotta do. I'll be back in a few minutes." I say.

"Alight." he says, turning to my mother.

As I head up the stairs to my room, I think of how lucky I am to have Walker as not only a bodyguard, but as a friend. I mean, Mo would be _dead_ if Walker hadn't of swooped in and saved him. And my mom wouldn't have a hope in the world of coming back at all if it weren't for him. A bodyguard wouldn't do something like that. Only a friend would.

I walk into my room and go over to the closet. I open it up and search through the clothes. Eventually, I find a comfortable sundress made of a soft, light green fabric. It used to be my mother's. When I had run away last year, it had somehow made it into my duffle bag, saving it from the fire.

I grab it off the hanger and start to walk out of the room again. Just as I'm about to close the door, Nico comes out of the bathroom, having showered off and changed into a plain black tee shirt and some black and white plaid sleep pants.

"I don't think we're going to be heading to camp tomorrow." he says.

"I think you're right. There's no way, unless Lucas can take her to Sinai tomorrow." I say, running my fingers through my messy short hair.

"That could be an option. That way he could actually keep a close eye on her while he's at work." he says.

"Yea. We might need to make a trip down there tonight." I say.

Nico follows me out of the bedroom and we head back downstairs.

We get to the bottom of the stairs and see a colorful glow fading from the kitchen. We hurry in and see Walker standing over my mother.

Her previously torn-open throat was completely closed up and her chest was rising and falling slightly. My legs nearly turn to jelly seeing her alive and breathing.

"She's alive." I breathe, feeling tears brim my eyes.

I walk over to the table, as if in a trance. I drop the dress on one of the chairs and then look down at her. I stroke her long chocolaty brown hair. It was damp, as if she had been sweating.

I turn away from her and look to Walker. I go up to him and then fling my arms around him. At first, he awkwardly hugs me back, then he loosens up.

"Thank you." I whisper.

I pull out of the hug and wipe the tears from my eyes.

"She should wake up in a couple of hours. It seems as if the nurses had sedated her right before we got there and the medicine is still in her system." he says.

"So, do you think Nico and I have time to go down to Sinai and talk to Lucas?" I ask.

"Definitely. I wouldn't stay long though. We have no idea where Callie is." he says, heading over to the door.

"Alright. Then we'll go down there and talk to Lucas then come back here." I say.

"Oh, and Walker?" I say.

He turns from the front door and looks back at me.

"Yes?" he asks.

"Why did you bring her back for me?" I ask.

"I'm a helper god. That's what I do." he says, shrugging.

"No. I don't think bringing someone back to life counts as a helping job. You help demigods that are in need. I don't actually _need _my mother. Sure, I'd miss her an awful lot if she was dead and I couldn't do anything about it, but I could move forward. Why did you bring her back?" I ask.

He leans against the door frame, thinking of how to answer. Then he says, "Your mother's life was taken unfairly. She was asleep when she was killed, she hadn't been battling Drew or anything, Drew just ripped out her throat without her knowing. It was unfair. I brought her back so she would have a second chance at life."

"Oh. Thank you." I say, smiling a little.

"No problem, Kyra." he says, giving me a warm smile that lit up his face.

He then opens the door all the way and walks out. I see a flash of light outside the window and know that he's left.

**A/N:**

**Surprise! I'm in a good mood today because my mom is off for today and tomorrow :) So I felt like giving you guys another chapter.**

**So, her mother isn't dead, but she's asleep right now. What do you think will happen when she wakes up? Do you think she'll go all crazy or be her normal self for a bit? I just added that little bit of why Walker brought her back, I felt it sorta needed an explanation because I don't think he's just going to go imagine back every single person who dies. **

**Oh boy, I get to start writing the first part of the trilogy tonight! I'm partially excited, and a bit nervous as well. I don't know why I'm nervous, I just am. **

**I think one of the hardest things about writing a story is coming up with a damn title. I've been trying to figure out what to call the first part and I have a couple of ideas, but I don't think I'll really ****_know _****what it's meant to be called till I'm about five or six chapters in.**

**Also, I've been thinking and I think this series needs a name. Like the whole series together. I was thinking about "The Adventure series," but I think that just sounds a bit boring. What do you guys think it should be called?**

**M/A:**

***sings* Music Appreciation, Music Appreciation, Music Appreciation!**

**Okay, today it's "Just Like You" by Three Days Grace. I get the feeling when listening to this song that it's either about society and their twisted ways of wanting everyone to be perfect clones, or the person singing (Adam Gontier) is talking about living with or being friends with someone who's trying to make them exactly like them self. And he's saying that he doesn't want to be a clone, he wants to be his own person. **

**In many ways, I can relate to this song. I've had so many people in my life trying to tell me how to be and live, when really, I want to make those decisions. I mean, they ****_are _****my decisions. Not theirs.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down." Lucas says.

Nico and I were at Sinai Hospital in Lucas's office. It was currently two o'clock in the morning and I was trying to explain what all had happened; it was proving to be tricky. It was all coming out in a rush and was a bit difficult to understand.

I sigh and start over, "Nico, Walker, and I went to John Hopkins tonight because Walker suspected that Callie was going to try and kill mom." I say.

"I got that part." Lucas says, nodding.

"Well, he had been right. When we walked into mom's room he and Nico were hit with these orb things and it froze them. They couldn't move." I say.

"Alright." he says, motioning for me to continue.

"So, I argued with Callie for a couple of minutes and then Drew popped up beside mom's bed and basically tore out her throat." I say, my voice quiet.

"_What_?!" Lucas shouts.

"Hold on." I say.

"Then, Callie took out a jar of Greek fire and lit it. She and Drew left after that and then the spell that had been on Nico and Walker wore off. Walker pulled the fire alarm and Nico picked up mom and we left." I say.

"When we got back to the house, Walker imagined her back." I say.

"So, she's alive?" he asks, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"Yes. She's at the house right now, sleeping. Walker said that the nurses must have sedated her right before we got there, so she should be out cold for another hour or so." I say.

"Good." he sighs, looking like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"What I was thinking though, you can bring her here." I say.

"That's actually not a bad idea. It might be better if I bring her down tonight." he says.

"Sounds like a plan." I say.

"Okay, then I'll come back to the house on my break and get her." he says.

"Alright. See you in a couple of hours." I say.

* * *

"Nico, can you help me carry her into Lucas's bathroom?" I call from the kitchen.

"Yea, sure." he says, yawning.

"She should be waking up fairly soon and I want to get her washed off and in new clothes so she doesn't freak out because she's got blood all over her clothes." I say, locking my arms under her underarms.

"Sounds like a good reason." he says.

"Wait, let me just carry her. It's easier than one of us taking her arms and the other the legs." he says, moving me aside and picking her up.

We head towards the bathroom and he sets her down in the jet-tub.

"Umm, you don't need any more help, do you?" Nico asks, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

I chuckle and say, "No, go on to bed if you want."

"Nah, I'll stay up with you until Lucas gets here." he says.

"Okay. I'll call you back in when she needs to be moved again." I say.

"Alright." he says, closing the bathroom door behind him.

* * *

After much pulling and heaving, I was finally able to get her out of the bathtub and sitting on the floor.

I quickly dress her in the light green dress. I had been surprised at how slim she had gotten. The two times I had visited her, she had been wearing big, billowy clothes. I hadn't been able to tell that she had lost so much weight.

I glance at her and then open the bathroom door. I quickly make my way into the living room and find Nico dozing on the couch. I hated to wake him, but I couldn't carry her back in here.

"Nico." I say, shaking his shoulder.

I should have known from several times of trying before that the simple calling his name and shaking his shoulder doesn't work.

I sigh and grab one of the throw pillows. Then I smack him in the stomach with it. _That_ woke him up.

He makes a startled sound and rolls over, falling off the couch.

He groans and says, "What the hell, Kyra?"

I smirk and shake my head. "C'mon, I need you to bring her in here." I say, taking his hand and pulling him up.

We walk back down the hall and to the bathroom. I open the door to find that she wasn't sitting on the floor where I had left her.

This wasn't good. This either meant that Callie had come in and taken her away, or she had woken up. Either situation was equally bad.

I hear a sort of battle cry behind me. Nico and I whirl around to see my mom coming at us, a plastic coat hanger raised above her head like a weapon of some sort.

We jump aside just as she barrels past us and into the bathroom. I close the door and try to keep it closed.

"Nico, go call Lucas. We need him or an ambulance to come over here now." I say, panicking a little.

Nico runs out of the room to go phone Lucas. Meanwhile, my mom is trying her hardest to pull open the bathroom door.

"Mom!" I say, trying to get her to hear me through the door.

She doesn't stop, so I call to her again, louder this time. I had an idea. An idea that probably wouldn't work, but it was worth a shot.

She still doesn't stop so I just decide to go through with the plan, even if she wouldn't quiet down.

"Listen." I say.

I start signing "Come Home" by OneRepublic. It's one of my favorite songs and has a calming affect when you listen to it. Or at least, it does on me.

A few lines into the song, she starts to lighten up on trying to break out of the bathroom. By the time I start singing the chorus for the first time, she's stopped altogether.

_"'Come home_  
_Come home_  
_'Cause I've been waiting for you_  
_For so long_  
_For so long_  
_And right now there's a war between the vanities_  
_But all I see is you and me_  
_The fight for you is all I've ever known_  
_Ever known_  
_So come home'"_

"Lucas sent a ambulance. They should be here in a few minutes." Nico says, walking in.

I nod and keep signing, patting the floor next to me, gesturing for him to sit down. He does and leans against the wall, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, listening to me sing.

_"'I get lost in the beauty_  
_Of everything I see_  
_The world ain't as half as bad_  
_As they paint it to be_  
_If all the sons_  
_All the daughters_  
_Stopped to take it in_  
_Well hopefully the hate subsides and the love can begin_  
_It might start now… Yea_  
_Well maybe I'm just dreaming out loud_  
_Until then'"_

I finish up the song, and then I hear the front door bang open and a few sets of hurried footsteps.

Nico gets up and goes out into the hallway and brings back four paramedics with a gurney.

"Excuse me, Miss." one of them says.

He opens the door and my mother is suddenly alert again. She starts trying to run past the paramedic and out of the room, but he holds her back and injects a sedative into her arm. Before she starts to fade, she looks at me and there's such terror in her eyes, it made my heart ache. She almost looked like a petrified puppy or something.

The panic in her eyes starts to fade and she begins to sway back and forth, looking sleepy. Two of the paramedics help her onto the gurney and strap her on.

"It's a good thing you called Lucas when you did. That could have gotten out of hand extremely fast." the man who gave her the sedative says.

"Have a nice night." he says, nodding to us and then heading out of the bedroom.

I hear the front door close and then I have to try and hold myself together. I walk out of the room with Nico, closing the door behind me.

As we head up the stairs to my room, I felt like I was about to explode. There had to be _something_ that could help her. Something besides drugging her so much that she didn't know where she was.

**A/N:**

**Well, I told you something was going to happen. I didn't say what ****_kind _****of something though. I like the next chapter too, sort of sweet in a sad way.**

**Honestly, sometimes I really just want to hurt the older of the two brothers at class. And that scares the fuck out of me. The whole name-calling thing hasn't started up again, thank god, he's just generally fucking annoying. And what makes it worse now, one of his friends from school (a girl that he's talked about before) has started coming. So now both of the brothers are, I think, trying to show off and they're acting like complete imbeciles. **

**Like, take Thursday for an example. We were cleaning up and one of the things that my friend and I like to do is watch the skaters down the hill from the studio. So usually when they're out, being teenage girls, we drop everything and watch them skate for a few minutes before getting back to work. **

**So this happened, and my friend and I went to the door and watched them. Meanwhile, the boys were chasing each other with wet sponges or something and being really loud. We went back to cleaning a couple of minutes later, and then the older of the two just starts making fun of ****_me, _****not my friend, about how I go over to the window and watch the skaters. Like really?! What the fuck! I'm a ****_teenage girl _****who likes skaters. ****_Of course _****I'm going to go over to the window to watch them skate.**

**I went over to him, with my sponge in hand, and smacked his arm with it saying, "Next time, I'll punch you harder."**

**Okay, this is what scared the fuck out of me. Everyone thought I was joking, but really, I wasn't. And that's what scares me the most. That I wasn't joking about it. And I regret saying the slightly mean things to him, because I'm afraid that I hurt his feelings when I do that, I don't want to hurt someone. When I do hurt someone with words, it's one of the most awful feelings on the planet, knowing that I'm responsible for someone's hurt.**

**So my goal now is to try and keep my anger under wraps and not take it out on people. Talking to people about it helps a lot, but sometimes it just isn't enough and I find myself lashing out on people who just ask me a simple question. **

**Listening to my music is a ginormous help as well, keeping me from exploding. Talking to you guys helps me too, keeps me going, y'know? So be happy and proud that you're the reason I don't give up on one of the things I love to do most.**

**M/A:**

**The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is amazing. You can't deny it. Even if it's not the kind of music you listen to, you have to admit that they're pretty fucking awesome at what they do.**

**"Dive Too Deep" is from their album "Am I the Enemy." That song is so perfect in so many ways, I can't even name all the things that are perfect about it.**

_**"'If I dive too deep  
You'll pull me out  
If I try to speak **_

_**You'll hear me out  
If I get to weak **_

_**You'll hold me close  
And tell me I'm fine'"**_

**Read those lyrics and try to tell me they aren't perfectly amazing.** **To me, this song is inspirational. I get so many messages from this song, and it's perfect to listen to when you're having a bad day. It sort of just reminds me that everything will get better eventually, there will be someone or several people to help me, I'm not alone.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series.

* * *

I wake up in the morning to see Nico standing out on the balcony, yet again.

I slide out of bed and walk out and lean against the railing. There was a nice breeze flowing and it felt great outside. Almost like early fall, which was strange, considering it was now summer.

"I want to drop by the hospital before we go. Y'know, to say goodbye since I won't see her for the rest of the summer." I say.

"Alright. Any time you want to go, we'll go." he says, taking my hand.

He sounded tired. I look at him and see that there were dark circles under his eyes, darker than they usually are.

"Did you stay up all night?" I ask.

"Well, not _all_ night. I fell asleep a few minutes after we came up here at about 3:45. Then I woke up at five because I thought I heard something smack against the window." he says.

"_Did_ something smack against the window?" I ask.

"Well, I didn't see anything. But I didn't want another incident like last night so I just stayed up to be safe." he says.

"You know, it's really cute when you do something like that. But Nico, if you don't see anything outside, go back to sleep." I say.

"It's a bit hard to when you've been shaken up so many times in a time period of about six and a half hours." he says.

"I know." I sigh.

We stay out on the balcony for about ten more minutes, just looking out at the early morning scene of the docks. Some slow-moving fishermen were finishing loading up their boats, but the majority of them were already out in the bay.

"Well, I'm going to go get dressed. I'll be ready to leave in about fifteen." I say, heading back into my bedroom.

* * *

I hadn't realized just how early it was. It was actually just now 7:30.

"Ready?" I ask Nico, hefting my packed to the point of exploding backpack up onto my shoulder.

"Yea. Let's go." he says, holding out his hand.

I take it and we dive into the shadows of my closet.

* * *

One thing I loved about Sinai is that I actually knew a bunch of the people that worked there, since they were Lucas' co-workers.

The nurse leading Nico and I to my mom's room was one that I knew. Her name was Bailey. She and her husband, Sam, both worked here at the hospital. He was a psychiatrist here.

Lucas and mom used to go out to dinner with them when I was little and John would stay home and baby-sit me. I also remember going on picnics with them and their son, Gabriel, with Lucas and mom in late summer to early fall.

"Here you go, Kyra. Press the blue button on the bed if you need me." she says, unlocking the door.

"Thanks, Bailey." I say, heading in.

Nico closes the door behind us. It amazed me how much of a difference there was between the room here and the one at John Hopkins.

This one just seemed happier, less gloomy. There weren't bars on the windows, but they were locked tightly and I assume that it was made out of an extremely strong glass.

The walls were painted a calming, cornflower blue and the floor was made of parquet tiles that looked like wood, but weren't.

She was sitting in one of the over-stuffed chairs by the window, looking down at the busy streets.

"Mom?" I say, setting my bag on the ground.

Her head turns and she sort of observes me for a second before a grin breaks out on her face.

She gets up from her chair and walks over to me. She places a hand on my cheek and looks at me.

"Where are you going?" she asks, looking down at my backpack.

"Camp. I wanted to stop by and see you before I left." I say.

She smiles and motions for Nico and I to come over to the chairs.

"So, tell me what's been going on in the lives of Nico and Kyra." she says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Like, what have you two been up to?" she asks.

"Not much really. Graduation was yesterday morning." I say.

"Oh really? I hate that I missed that." she says.

"I'm sure Lucas took some pictures. He can show you sometime." I say.

"Oh, that would be wonderful." she says, brightening at the thought.

"And what about you Nico?" she asks, turning to look at him.

"Oh, y'know, just keeping Kyra out of trouble." he says.

"I'm sure that's not _all_ you've been doing. Surely something a bit more exciting?" she asks, sounding hopeful.

The it hit me. She _wanted_ to hear what sort of adventures we had been on lately and what monsters we've defeated, because she couldn't go on any adventures of her own, even to the grocery store. She's been cooped up in a room for a year, doing nothing.

I suddenly felt really guilty about never visiting her. I wish I could go back in time and visit her every day, just so she'd have something to look forward to.

"Well, we actually battled a Hydra last night." I say.

"Really?" she asks, her green eyes lighting up.

"Kyra, what are you doing?" Nico mumbles.

I think it was just some sort of unspoken rule with the demigods that you don't tell your parent or parents about the monsters you battle. Usually because they'll freak out and worry about you all the time. But my mom was one of the few exceptions. She needed something interesting to listen to, not just boring small talk.

"Trust me." I mumble back.

"Yea, it was outside the house last night. It was huge; at least fifteen feet tall, and it was spraying it's acid spit all over the place." I say.

"Oh wow. Were either of you hurt?" she asks, concern in her eyes.

"Nope. We were able to doge all of it's attacks." I say. So maybe that part wasn't _completely_ true. The acid _did_ splash all over my face, but she didn't need to know that part.

"Anything else happen?" she asks.

So Nico and I start telling her about all the monsters we've defeated over the past year, going from most recent to oldest.

I was telling her of a rogue harpy Mo and I had bumped into at the beginning of the school year when there's a knock at the door and Bailey comes in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but the visiting hours are over for the morning." she says, she really did look sorry.

"Oh, come on Bay. Just a few more minutes?" my mom says.

"I wish, Michelle. But rules are rules." she says.

My mom sighs and stands up from her chair. Nico and I stand up as well.

"I'll meet you in the lobby." Nico says, kissing my cheek and grabbing his backpack up.

"Oh, wait Nico." my mom says.

He turns around and she walks over to him. She gives him a hug. He stiffens up for a second, then loosens up and hugs her back. I was the only one who was allowed to hug him, with an occasional exception for Annabeth or Percy when they haven't seen each other in a while. So, this was a bit strange.

Before they stop, Nico whispers something in her ear and then she nods. I was a bit confused, but I push it aside as nothing.

My mom lets go and smiles at him and he gives her a small smile back. He then picks his bag up again and walks out.

She turns back to me and her eyes start to water.

"I wish you didn't have to leave." she says, hugging me.

"I wish I didn't have to either." I say, tears threatening to spill.

"I love you." she says, stroking my hair.

"I love you too, mom." I say, tightening my grip on her a little.

We release each other and I look at her. She gives me a watery smile and then shoos me off and out the door.

Bailey gives me a smile before she closes the door, about to give my mom her daily medicine, I suppose.

I sigh and start making my way down the hallway and towards the stairs. This has proved to be harder than I expected it to be.

**A/N:**

**Bit of a sad ending there. And I hate to say it, but I think Kyra sort of deserves to feel a bit guilty. I mean, her mom had ****_no one_****. She was just basically rotting away in that jail cell of a room back at JH.**

**So, do any of you guys watch PewDiePie on YouTube? I was watching his "The Last of Us" videos and, good god, I didn't think it was ****_possible_**** to have that many feels in a video game about a zombie apocalypse. And I can't even tell you how hard I laughed at some points where he was just talking while looting some of the abandoned houses. A couple of parts I nearly jumped off my bed screaming and almost dropped my computer. That would have been a disaster.**

**But, those videos gave me some pretty weird, disturbing dreams. They're so disturbing that I'm not even going to tell you guys what they were about, just going to say that they were awful and I woke up confused and going, "What the fuck just happened? Did I ****_really_**** just do ****_that_****?" every time I had one.**

**So, I just want to say that you guys are fucking amazing. I couldn't ask for better readers and friends on here. I love you all tremendously and I don't think I say it often enough because I'm just not the kind of person who just throws out "I love you"s all the time. All of the encouragement and advice I've gotten on the anger issues and the boys at class nearly made me break down into a puddle of tears :')**

**M/A:**

**Today's song is "Gold Coast" by Grouplove. Grouplove is one of those bands that just have fun with their songs and sound high while they're singing. It's really fun listening and singing along to their stuff!**

**Anyway, Gold Coast is a bit hard to decipher, in my opinion. I have an idea of what it's about, but I'm not quite sure. **

**My favorite lyrics from this song though are,**

_**"'When you feel despair, what's your method to get outta there?'"**_

**and**

**_"'So where you from, son?  
And are you a troubled one?  
And if so, come under my wings.  
Now what's your story?  
And is there glory today  
Cause that's the only way out there'"_**

**__****If you just like listening to fun, mindless music sometimes, I'd suggest Grouplove. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

On the way to the lobby, I stop at Lucas's office. He should be in there, getting his stuff together so he can head home.

I knock and I hear him say, "Come in."

I open the door to find him organizing some patient files in his desk. He looks up and smiles at me.

"Nico and I are about to leave." I say.

"Already?" he asks, walking over to me.

"Yea. I figure I should get there a little early so I can get a head start on cleaning the cabin." I say.

"Did you see your mother?" he asks.

I nod and say, "Yea. I really-I feel really bad about not visiting her more often. She seems so lonely."

"Well, she'll be less lonely now that she's here. I stopped by and talked to her a few minutes earlier this morning." he says.

"I hope so. Oh, and you need to show her some of my graduation pictures. I told her you would. She was disappointed that she missed it." I say.

"I will. I had planned on it." he says.

"Okay." I say. "It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to bring a couple of weapons when you come in tonight." I add.

"Why's that?" he asks.

"We have no clue where Callie is. It won't take her long to figure out where mom is. I don't know if she's going to try and kill me again, or if she'll come after her first." I say.

"Does Callie know she's alive?" he asks.

"I don't think so. But it won't be long before she figures it out. She knew that Walker had been with us, and I'm pretty sure she knows that he's not a demigod or a mortal." I say.

"Well, I'll bring a couple of things tonight. And I'll also tell Bailey and Sam." he says.

"What are you going to tell them? That there's a psychopath after mom and I and she won't stop till we're dead?" I ask.

"Yes, actually." he says.

"Are you crazy?! They'll want to call the cops and they can't do a thing about this!" I say.

"No, no. I never told you this, but Sam and Bailey are demigods as well. We grew up together at Camp Jupiter, they're actually the ones that pushed me to move up here." he says.

"What? How come you never told me?" I ask.

"Has there really been a convenient time?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, no." I say.

"Okay then, that's why. Otherwise, I probably would have told you." he says.

"Alright then, tell Sam and Bailey before you leave. All the protection she can get, the better. I'm not sure how much Walker is going to be able to do because I think he's back on Olympus trying to track Callie down." I say.

"We'll take care of it. She'll be fine, I promise." he says.

I hug him and then turn to leave. Before I turn the doorknob though, I turn back around and look at him.

"Lucas?" I ask.

"Yes, Kyra?" he says, looking up from his desk.

"Before Nico left mom's room to wait for me down in the lobby, mom came over and hugged him. Then, right before he left, he whispered something in her ear and then she nodded. Do you know what that could have been about?" I ask.

A hint of a smile comes to his lips and he says, "I don't have a clue. Maybe you should ask Nico."

"If it's a secret of some sort, it'll be hard getting it out of him. It took me a week and a half to get him to tell me why he didn't like Walker." I say.

"Give it time. Maybe he'll tell you what it was about in a week or so." he says, shrugging.

I sigh and say, "Okay. Oh, and would it be alright if I call the hospital and talk to mom for a few minutes every few days?"

"I'll have to ask her doctor, but I don't think that'll be a problem." he says.

"Alright. Well, I better not keep Nico waiting much longer. I'll see you later." I say, opening the door.

"Bye, Kyra." he says.

I close the door behind me and then start heading towards the lobby.

* * *

Nico and I were on the top of Half-Blood Hill. The valley looked just as beautiful as it always did.

The late morning sunlight making the strawberry fields glow pink and red; the lake and the Sound were shimmering like diamonds. The air smelled of pine trees and the sweet scent of strawberries, also a bit of that weird, musty monster smell.

"Home again." I say, smiling.

Nico grabs my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine. We start walking down the hill and toward the cabins. I could already tell it was going to be a good summer.

**A/N:**

**Ahh, surprise update! Updates for this story will hopefully come a bit more often since I've finished it and started on "A New Beginning," the first part of the trilogy. It's coming along quite nicely and I think you guys are really going to like it!**

**So, last night I learned that you should not stay up till 3 AM watching PewDiePie's The Walking Dead videos. Good god, my mom had to go into work at 5:30 this morning so she could take a catering delivery. So my dad came into my room around 7:30 before he left for work and put the dog on my bed. I barely noticed that.**

**Then, around 8 o'clock, I was just barely awake, in the process of turning over in bed, and my mom came in and picked up Charlie, the dog. Holy fuck, I had been having a dream that a zombie had cornered me and was trying to eat me and I didn't have anything to defend myself in the dream. I literally thought my mom was a zombie for a couple of seconds. I had quite a spaz attack and nearly jumped out of bed screaming.**

**When I realized that she was, in fact, ****_not _****a zombie, I fell back asleep and didn't actually get out of bed till about 10. Ahh, being home schooled rocks because I can stay up as late as I want and get up whenever, just as long as I get my homework done, which I do.**

**M/A:**

**So I think my iPod just really wants me to discuss "My Immortal" by Evanescence. This is like the fifth time in the past two days that it's played it while I've had it on shuffle, and let me tell you, I have over 800 songs on my iPod. It's actually closer to 900.**

**So, My Immortal. I adore this song so much. Amy Lee's voice is just so fucking beautiful and mixing it with rock music is probably one of the best decisions in music ever. **

_**"'These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase**_

_**When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me'"**_

**These lyrics make me think that this song is about a bad breakup. It just sounds like it. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Kyra! Two more!" someone shouts from outside the cabin.

I smile and open the door. Standing there were two kids, a boy and a girl, both with auburn hair and greenish-gold eyes. It was obvious that they were twins. They looked to be about fourteen or fifteen.

It had already been two weeks since Nico and I had gotten here. Time had just seemed to fly by once we got settled in. Apparently everything back in Baltimore was just fine, I talk to Lucas almost every night before he goes into work and he gives me updates on mom. I have yet to be able to talk to her.

"Kyra, this is Belen and Melina." it was Piper behind them.

"Hey guys, I'm Kyra, the cabin's counselor. We were just getting ready for dinner." I say, moving aside and gesturing to the other five that were in the cabin.

Scarlett had gotten here a day after Nico and I, and Danielle wasn't here yet. She had called a week ago and said she wasn't going to be here till next week, some last minute things she had to take care of before she left home.

When I told Scarlett the news about Keegan, she didn't take it too well. She actually didn't talk to me for about three days after I told her.

The other four kids here were Galen, Alexis, Timothy, and Adonis. Galen is 12, and thinks he knows just about everything. He's a sweet kid though. A satyr found him at his school backed into a corner of the janitor's closet by a giant spider.

Alexis is 8, and after a minor monster attack, her mom decided that it was time to bring her to camp. She knew it was only going to get worse the older Alexis got and when she finally found out what exactly she was. She arrived a few days ago.

Adonis and Timothy arrived together early in the spring. Adonis is 13 and Timothy is 9. Apparently Adonis and his satyr had stumbled across Timothy while they were on their way here from Florida.

They had arrived with some sort of serpent on their heels, just barely making it across the border.

Belen and Melina step into the cabin, each carrying a backpack with claw marks on it.

I tell them to choose an empty bed and they take the two beds towards the back of the cabin. They just throw their packs onto their beds and then come back over to me.

"You guys can shower off if you want. We've got about thirty minutes before we need to head to the mess hall." I say.

Melina sighs and gives me a smile. "Thank you. I feel disgusting." she says.

"Over the fall, all the cabins had another bathroom installed, so both of you can take showers, no waiting." Scarlett says.

"Alright, sounds good." Belen says.

They open up their backpacks and get out fresh sets of clothes and then go back to the bathrooms.

I flop down onto the red love-seat and take out my phone. I go to Lucas's number and call him. He should be up by now, getting ready for work.

"Hello?" he answers.

"Hey, has mom's doctor said if I can talk to her yet?" I ask.

"Well, Dr. Remerez was actually fired." he says.

"_What?!_" I say.

The others look at me, alarmed.

"Sorry, it's alright." I say to the others, taking the phone away from my ear.

"Wait, so why was he fired?" I ask.

"Turns out he was stealing his patients' medication and selling them." he says.

"Wow. Well, who's her doctor now?" I ask.

"Sam." he says.

I smile and say, "Good. At least she'll actually know her doctor this time. Just ask him tonight when you go in and call me tomorrow."

"Will do. Any more new campers?" he asks.

"Yea. Belen and Melina. They just got here a few minutes ago." I say.

"Brother and sister, or from separate families?" he asks.

"Twins." I say.

"Wow. That's definitely not common." he says.

"Well, since when has the Apollo cabin been common? Or any cabin, for that matter?" I say.

"Good point." he says.

Belen comes out of the bathroom, his auburn hair damp and sticking to his temples. Melina walks out a couple of minutes later.

"Lucas, I need to go. We're about to head down to the mess hall. Just call me tomorrow after you've talked to Sam." I say.

"Okay. Talk to you then." he says, then hangs up.

"You guys ready?" I ask, slipping my phone back into my pocket and standing up.

"Yea." Belen says.

"Alright then, let's go." I say, opening the door and waving them forward.

**A/N**:

**Bit of a filler chapter, but that's alright. We've got a few more of those before we get to something interesting, so I think I'm going to upload another chapter...**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngleo25**


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"What you're going to do is walk up to that brazier and throw in your best piece of food. Then you say, "To Apollo" and you can say a silent prayer or just walk back to the table." I say.

I was explaining the procedures of dinner-time to Belen and Melina, along with where we had to sit.

"So, why exactly do we have to throw our food into a fire?" Belen asks.

I chuckle and say, "It's an offering to the gods. They feed off the smell of it."

"Ew. They _feed_ off the smell of burning food?" Melina asks, looking disgusted.

I grin and say, "You'll understand when you smell it."

Suddenly, I feel a pair of arms circle around my waist. I tense up and look over my shoulder, only to see Nico. He was giving me his boyish grin and his eyes were bright.

"Hey." I say, smiling.

"Who are they?" he asks, tilting his head over to Belen and Melina.

"New Apollo campers. I was just explaining dinner." I say.

"Ah." he says, nodding.

Alexis, Belen, and Melina were all looking at Nico curiously. Alexis hadn't met him yet either.

"This is Nico, my boyfriend." I say.

"Hey, guys." Nico says, waving to them.

"So, who's your parent?" Belen asks, a glint of curiosity in his greenish-gold eyes.

"Hades." Nico says.

"Oh, cool!" Melina says, grinning.

We reach the marble steps of the mess hall and Nico gets behind us. As we head up the steps, Scarlett catches up to me.

"So, who's singing tonight? Are we going to introduce the newbies, or just have you and me?" she asks.

"I'll ask if anyone wants to perform tonight once we sit down at the table. I think we finally have enough so that we can rotate people throughout the week." I say.

"Sounds good." she says, nodding.

* * *

It turns out that Belen and Melina used to be in a band with two of their friends back home in Minnesota. They decided that they would play a couple of songs they knew tonight, and then Scarlett and I would come up later and play some of the camp songs.

"So, how many people are there exactly?" Melina asks as we head along the path to the stadium-like fire pit.

"Hmm. How many would you say, Nico?" I ask, looking at him.

"Right now, I'd say about a hundred, a hundred and fifty. Maybe a little more." he says.

"Oh, wow." she says.

I could tell by the way her voice got really quiet that she and her brother had never played for that many people.

"Hey, I'm sure you'll be fine. All Apollo children have musical talents, and I can just tell you two are great." I say, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Really?" she asks.

"Definitely." I say, giving her a small smile.

We reach the entrance of the campfire and see that a lot of the campers were already munching on s'mores.

"Go on and take Galen, Adonis, Timothy, and Alexis to sit with the others. I'll be there in a few minutes." I whisper to Nico.

"C'mon guys. I'll show you where the instruments and stuff are stored up on stage." I say, waving Belen and Melina on.

They follow me up on stage and I help them set up a couple of microphones and get out a guitar for Belen.

As they're warming up, I go up to the mic and tap it, making the sound resonate throughout the stadium. Everyone stops talking and turns their attention to me.

"Hey guys. Tonight I would like to introduce two new campers, and my siblings, Belen and Melina. They're going to play a few songs for you guys, and then Scarlett and I are going to come up and do a couple of camp songs. Sound good?" I ask.

Several of the campers nod in agreement and I smile. I turn away from the mic and back to Belen and Melina.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Yea. All tuned up." Belen says.

"Awesome. Just make the songs family friendly. I had Chiron get on my case one time for singing a Green Day song, and let me tell you, that was _not_ fun. I was scrubbing plates with the lava wash for a week." I say.

Melina chuckles and says, "Don't worry. We'll keep it low-key."

"Alright, good luck." I say, walking down the steps to where Nico and the others were sitting.

**A/N:**

**If anyone is wondering, here's how you pronounce the new Apollo campers' names:**

**Belen: BELL-EN**

**Melina: MEL-EE-NA**

**Adonis: ADD-ON-IS**

**Galen: GAY-LEN**

**And I'm pretty sure you know how to pronounce the other two.**

**So, on Thursday, I got my new computer! I decided not to get a MacBook because I played with my pottery teacher's, and I didn't really like it. Too complicated. So, I got the new Acer Aspire V5. It's fucking awesome! And, it's a touch screen! The only thing is that it's taking forever to transfer all my music onto it. Hopefully I'll finish that up today and be done with it.**

**Good news guys! Also on Thursday, I had finished cleaning up early in class so I went over to one of the tables and was catching up on an hour and a half of my Twitter feed. Anyway, my teacher came over to me and and looked at the other kids cleaning up and then at me and said, "Are you getting too old for this class?"**

**I asked her what she meant and she said, "Do you want me to transfer you to a different class?" **

**I literally almost screamed. But then I pointed out that my friend would hate me for leaving her and my teacher told me that she could transfer both of us! She told me that she'd think about it for a little bit and see what she could do, but just think about it! There's a possibility that I'll never have to talk to those boys ever again!**

**M/A:**

**Ah-ah-ha-ah-ah. Today is "Poprocks and Coke" by Green Day.**

**_"'If you should fall  
You know I'll be there  
To catch the call  
You know I'll be there  
I'll go anywhere  
So I'll see you there'"_**

**__****To me, this song is coming from maybe a friend or a girl/boyfriend. They're telling their friend or girl/boyfriend that they'll always be there for them and they'll help them back up when they fall down.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Belen and Melina were really good, as I knew they would be. Once the initial nervousness went away, they had a blast up on stage and the other campers really seemed to like them.

They started out with Imagine Dragons' "Amsterdam" and did a couple of their own songs that they wrote. They were going to end their performance with their song "Lovely Lullaby," but the rest of the campers wanted them to continue on.

So, they played three more songs, and then they switched places. Melina takes the guitar and starts strumming and also sort of using it as a drum. Then Belen starts singing "The Ballad of Michael Valentine" by The Killers.

"'_Michael plays with stars  
Soul Sister won't you take a ride _

_In his car  
Late to call  
When you wanted to be all  
Baby, baby, don't be so shy  
Rock children hold your heads up high  
In the night while I try  
And tell the ballad of Valentine'"_

One thing was for sure, both could sing beautifully. Belen could start out singing softly, and then change to screamo in a split second.

Melina's voice was soft and sweet, but she could also make it sound raw and rough, like she had just run a race and was trying to sing.

"'_And I will _

_Not lie when I say I ain't cold no more  
But I've got the buzz  
Like Greta Garbo  
Walking forwards to the sun  
And I've got _

_A coat tail left to ride_

_Well uh oh_  
_I know he's gonna be there tonight._'"

They finish and everyone starts to stand up, clapping and cheering. The twins look at each other and smile. Something tells me that their band back home never gotten a standing ovation.

As they come off stage, the fires slowly start to die. That usually means it's time to start heading back to the cabins.

"Come on, guys. Time to get ready for bed." I say.

I take Alexis and Timothy's hands and start navigating my way through the crush of campers.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and glance behind me. Belen was there with Melina. They both had the biggest, happiest smiles I've ever seen on someone.

I turn back around to watch where I'm going and smile to myself. They'd only been here a few hours and it was already their home.

* * *

"Lights out in fifteen minutes!" I say, going into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

"Kyra, Nico's here and he wants to talk to you." Scarlett calls from outside the bathroom.

I finish up and then head to the cabin's front door.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. Go ahead and go to bed." I say, opening the door and heading out onto the porch.

Nico was leaning against the railing. The moon was out and shining it's silver light all over the courtyard. The water in the fountain shimmered like diamonds as the droplets plummeted into the bottom pool of the fountain.

"Whatcha need?" I ask, leaning against the railing next to him.

"I uh-" he stutters.

It seemed like he was having trouble finding words for what he wanted to say.

"What? Is everything alright?" I ask, becoming concerned.

"Well, yes. Everything's fine. I just-" he says.

Now he seemed to be getting frustrated with himself and his inability to form the right words.

"_What,_ Nico?" I ask, getting exasperated.

He gives and angry sigh and then says, "Nothing. It's not important right now. I'll just tell you later."

"Why can't you just tell me now?" I ask.

"It's nothing. It can wait." he says, moving past me and quickly going down the steps.

He practically runs to the Hades cabin and then flings open the door. It slams and I hear a monster far in the woods roar.

I sigh and shake my head, wondering what the hell _that_ was about. I open the door, only to have Scarlett, Belen, Melina, and Adonis fall to the porch floor.

I look down at them and smirk. "Aren't you four supposed to be in bed?"

They all scramble to their feet, dusting off their pajamas.

"Um, we were just about to come out and see what was taking you so long." Belen says.

"Mm-hmm. I see. Well, c'mon. We need to get to bed. I've got to show you three, Timothy, Galen, and Alexis the ropes of training tomorrow." I say, walking into the cabin with them and closing the door behind me.

I switch the light off and then crawl into my bed. As I try to fall asleep, my conversation with Nico keeps bugging me. I wonder what he had been trying to tell me, and it obviously _was _important. Otherwise he wouldn't of been knocking on the cabin's door at ten o'clock at night.

**A/N:**

**Hmmmm. What do you think Nico was trying to tell Kyra? And I just had to have Scarlett, Belen, Melina, and Adonis trying to listen in on their conversation. It just seemed like something younger siblings would do when their sister is talking with her boyfriend.**

**So have any of you guys ever watched Death Note? I'm only 7 episodes in and I'm already hooked. I started watching it last night around 1 because I've heard a lot of people talking about it. That was an awful idea. I was up til 3 and I finally had to tell myself to stop because I needed to sleep.**

**I wish fall would go ahead and hurry up. I'm really tired of warm weather. I'm ready to be able to wear my skinny jeans and leather jackets and tacky sweaters without dying from a heat stroke. Thankfully though, it's supposed to be in the 70s the rest of the week where I am so it's starting to cool down, it's just taking it's own sweet time doing it.**

**M/A:**

**Have you guys ever listened to The Killers? I love them so much! One of my favorite songs that they've done is "Tranquilizer" from their album "Sawdust." The song that Belen and Melina performed (The Ballad of Michael Valentine) is also from this album and I adore that it.**

**I think it's because it just sorta sounds a bit creepy in some parts, sounds cool.**

_**"'I got this feeling that they're gonna break down the door  
I got this feeling they they're gonna come back for more  
See I was thinking that I lost my mind  
But it's been getting to me all this time  
And it don't stop dragging me down'"**_

**I think these are my favorite lyrics throughout the whole song. I don't know why, just the way Brandon Flowers (yes, his last name really is "Flowers") sings it, is just really fucking rad.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

_I'm standing in the Sound, the water coming up to my knees and soaking my ripped up jeans. I have my bow out and I'm firing arrow after arrow. I try to look and see _what _I'm firing at, but it's like the monster is blurred out._

_I can definitely tell that it's huge though, just by how high I'm aiming my shots._

_I feel something hard smack me on the side of my head and I fall into the water. The water felt like it was pouring into my lungs. I couldn't breathe._

* * *

I gasp for air, waking up. That was the first dream I had had since coming to camp, oddly enough.

I look out the window and see that the sun is up. I sigh and relax a little, gazing up at the ceiling. The others would be awake soon.

It would be best if I got up and got ready, instead of having to wait forever to get my turn for the shower.

* * *

"Alright, the first thing we have every morning, after breakfast, starting today, is archery. You six will be starting at the beginner's range, while Scarlett and I are on the advanced range." I say, walking toward the archery range path.

"So, is the beginner's range at the same location as the advanced?" Melina asks.

"Yes. The only difference is that the beginner's targets are a little bigger and you're positioned closer to them. That and Chiron is coaching the beginners most of the time; telling you what position you need to be in and how far to pull back your bow's string." I explain.

"Oh." she says.

"Don't worry. You guys should catch on pretty quickly since you're children of Apollo." I say.

We reach the range, only to see that we were paired with the Demeter cabin this year. Scarlett and I moan.

"What?" Galen asks.

"The Demeter cabin is great with plants and stuff, not so much with archery. Only a couple can actually shoot straight." Scarlett says.

"So, be aware of your surroundings. Before you shoot your arrow, make sure that none of the Demeter campers are about to shoot as well. Their arrow might miss." I say.

"Kyra!" someone calls from behind.

I turn around to see Nico walking up to me.

"I'll catch up with you guys. Scarlett, can you help them get the right sized bows?" I ask.

"Yea, sure. C'mon guys." she says, waving them forward.

I walk over to the side of the path and Nico comes over to me.

"Hey. I'm sorry about last night." he says.

"Yea, what was that about?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"I-Kyra, can I ask you something?" he asks.

"Yea." I say.

"Kyra-" he starts.

"Kyra! Come on, class is starting!" Scarlett says, interrupting Nico.

I sigh and say, "Continue later?"

Nico gives me a small smile and says, "Yea. See you later."

He kisses my cheek and then starts walking back the way he had come.

I watch him for a few seconds as he makes his way. It was starting to bother me, wondering what he needed to ask me. I guess I would find out later today.

**A/N:**

**Ugh. So sleepy.**

**Anyway, sort of a filler, I guess. I told you guys there were going to be a few fillers before we got to something interesting again. I think I'm going to upload the next chapter as well, because 46 is where things get shaken up a little...**

**M/A:**

**I'm going to leave this one for the next chapter, that way I don't have to write two of them today...**


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Turns out it was going to be a while before Nico and I got to talk. One of the clumsier of the Demeter kids accidentally shot Belen in the arm. The arrow actually went all the way through his bicep.

Chiron rushed him to the infirmary and left a couple of the older satyrs in charge. I shot a few more arrows and then decided I should probably head down to the infirmary as well and make sure Belen was okay.

"I'm going down to check on Belen. Make sure the other five get to the next training sessions." I tell Scarlett.

"Okay. We'll see you later." she says.

"Kyra, can I come with you?" Melina asks.

"Yea, c'mon." I say, waving her on.

She slings her bow behind her and follows me out of the range.

* * *

"Is Belen going to be okay?" she asks.

I look over at her and see she that she looked like she was about ready to cry.

I place my arm around her shoulders and say, "He'll be fine. Trust me, an arrow to the arm hurts like hell, but it's not very serious. Especially when Chiron is the one treating it. Belen will be perfectly fine by tomorrow."

She gives a sigh of relief and says, "Good."

We reach the infirmary and go up the creaking wooden steps. When we walk in, we find Chiron putting up a couple of glass vials. Belen was laying on one of the beds, sleeping.

Melina immediately rushes over to him and sits down in the chair next to the bed. I notice that he was in the same bed I had been in.

I stop in the doorway, remembering the last time I had been here. It had been right after the fire, and I had still been burned. Nico had been by my side, in that chair, the whole time I was unconscious.

I shake my head, trying to rid my mind of the painful memories.

I walk over to Chiron as he's closing the cabinet.

"He'll be alright, I assume?" I ask.

"Oh, yes. The medication I used to take the pain away just knocked him out. He should be awake within a couple of hours." he says.

"Why couldn't you just give him some ambrosia or nectar?" I ask.

"Since this would have been his first time ever consuming either one, it would have been too much of a shock to his body, especially for something so minor. It was best to just use one of the medications I have in the cabinet." he says.

"Oh, alright." I say, nodding.

"Well, I must get back to the archery range. Hopefully there weren't any more accidents while I was gone." he says, trotting out of the room.

I go over to the other side of the bed and look down at Belen. His arm was all bandaged up with white gauze. There were a couple of red spots on it where it had bled through, but it wasn't that bad.

"What did Chiron say?" Melina asks.

"He said Belen should wake up in a couple of hours. He had to give him a sort of pain medication to take away the pain and it knocked him out." I say.

"I'm going to get back to training. You can come, or you can stay here with Belen if you like." I say, turning back to the door.

"I think I'll stay here, if that's alright." she says.

"That's perfectly fine. I understand wanting to be with your brother when he's been hurt. I've been there." I say.

"What do you mean? Someone one else in the cabin?" she asks.

"No, my brother back in Baltimore." I say, then I walk out.

I couldn't talk about John. It was too hard.

**A/N:**

**So, obviously Kyra is still struggling over loosing John, she's just hid her pain incredibly well from others. **

**Next chapter things get a little...Interesting...**

**Ugh. So I finished watching Death Note a few days ago and just-ugh. I was happy with how it ended, but also really sad because that was the last episode.**

**So I think on Thursday or Wednesday I started watching Black Butler. Oh-just oh. It's the perfect mixture of sadness, comedy, and mystery...And also some pretty sexy characters...**

**But, I finished the first season of that last night. I was pretty angry because I can't find the second season ****_anywhere _****online. And to buy it, it's about $40. Ugh. Why do TV series have to be so damn expensive? So, I'm hoping I can rent it sometime this week at the book/movie store we have in town.**

**M/A:**

**Have any of you guys ever listened to Switchfoot? My bother used to listen to them all the time, and I think they're a pretty rad band.**

**Their song "Mess of Me" from their album "Hello Hurricane" is one of my favorites. When I first heard it last year, I was obsessed with it for about two weeks.**

**This song is one of those that I listen to when I'm angry with myself, when I've messed up and said something I shouldn't have to someone.**

_**"'I am my own affliction  
I am my own disease  
There ain't no drug that they could sell  
Ah, there ain't no drug to make me well**_

There ain't no drug  
It's not enough  
There ain't no drug  
The sickness is myself

I made a mess of me  
I wanna get back the rest of me  
I've made a mess of me  
I wanna spend the rest of my life alive'"

**Usually if I listen to it when I'm angry with myself, I feel better after. I guess just the lyrics and the beat to it release some of the anger.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

We were at the campfire. Scarlett and I were up on stage, rocking out to The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' song "Where Are the Heroes," when a satyr barges up onto the stage and stops me in the middle of the song.

"Kyra-Danielle's-here-hurt-" he gasps, breathing hard.

I quickly set the microphone back in it's stand and then run off stage. I could hear Scarlett and Nico calling after me, but I needed to get to Danielle.

Why was she here already? She said she wasn't getting here until next week.

After what felt like ages, I finally reach the infirmary.

I stumble when I see her. Danielle was laying on one of the beds, an arrow lodged frighteningly close to her heart. Chiron was rushing back and forth between the medicine cabinet and to Danielle.

I run over to her bedside and brush her disheveled, cheery red hair out of her eyes. She squints and looks up at me.

"Kyra." she says, trying to smile, but grimacing instead.

"Who did this to you?" I ask, feeling like I was about to cry, yet wanting to punch whoever did this to her in their soft spot.

She covers her mouth as she starts to cough. When she takes her hand away, it's splattered in blood.

"One of Callie's minions. They ambushed me on top of the hill. Kyra, she's coming here. She said she was going to watch the blood drain out of your body as she crushed you." she says, choking on tears, and probably a bit of blood too.

"How would she get past the boarders? They've been reinforced since the last time she crossed." I say.

"She's Callie. If she says she's going to do it, she'll find a way. She's a determined bitch out for revenge, Kyra." she says, her voice becoming more and more faint.

"Danni, just hold on. Chiron's going to heal you and it'll be alright." I say, taking her blood-stained hand.

Her shirt was becoming increasingly more soaked with blood as the seconds ticked by. A minute later, Chiron was hovering over her, about to try and pull the arrow out.

Right before he does, her grip on my hand tightens and she looks up at the ceiling, her brown eyes wide. She inhales sharply, and then stops moving.

"Danielle? Danielle!" I shout, shaking her.

"Kyra, she's gone." Chiron says, his eyes filled with years of sadness.

"No. I've got an idea." I say, remembering what Apollo had told me about the time limit you had on bringing someone back to life.

I yank the arrow out of her chest, throwing it to the floor with a clatter, and then place my hands over her heart. I start chanting, using a chant similar to the one I made up for Nico two years ago in the Underworld.

My hands start glowing, getting brighter and brighter as my voice gets more powerful.

When the glow fades though, she still isn't moving.

"Why didn't it work?!" I ask.

"That's what I was going to tell you. The arrow head had a poison on it. A rare poison. Once it's in the person's system, it not only speeds up the dying process, but it also prevents them from being brought back to life. Even a god can't bring them back." he says.

I sigh and put my head in my hands.

"It's all my fault. She wouldn't be dead if Callie wasn't looking for me. Keegan probably wouldn't of joined Callie and ended up getting killed either." I mumble.

"You don't know that, Kyra. Keegan might of joined a different army of monsters anyway. And no demigod is ever safe from harm." he says.

"I suppose you're right. But I can't help but feel like it's still all my fault." I say.

"There's nothing I can do to take that guilt away. Only time and you forgiving yourself will get rid of that." he says.

He then leaves the infirmary. Scarlett and Nico barge in a few minutes later, along with the other six.

I stand up from my chair and go over to Scarlett.

"No." she whispers, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm going to take the others back to the cabin. Take as long as you need." I say, giving her a hug.

I corral everyone, except Scarlett, back outside and we start heading to the cabins.

* * *

"Can you two make sure Galen, Adonis, Alexis, and Timothy are in bed in a few minutes? I need to go talk to Nico real quick and then swing by the infirmary and get Scarlett." I say, washing my hands off in the Apollo cabin bathroom. They had Danielle's blood all over them.

"Yea. By the way, who was that girl?" Melina asks.

I sigh and say, "That was Danielle. One of your sisters."

"Oh." she says, her voice quiet.

"I'll be back in thirty minutes to an hour. I want all of you in bed by the time I get back. We have another early morning tomorrow." I say, walking to the cabin door.

I open the door to find Nico about to knock on it. He steps back so I can come out. I close the door and then we walk down the steps and towards the infirmary.

"So, what did she say?" he asks.

"She said that Callie was going to be coming here soon, and that she wanted to end it for good." I say.

"But how will she get past the boarders?" he asks.

"That's what I asked and Danielle said that it was Callie we were talking about. She always finds a way." I say.

"I suppose that's true." he says.

We reach the steps and he waits on the porch while I go in to get Scarlett.

I walk in to see that she's laying across Danielle, asleep. I contemplate whether I should just leave her here, or wake her up.

I decide that it's probably best if I wake her up and take her back to the cabin.

"Scarlett." I say, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Wha?" she asks, raising her head up and squinting at me in the darkness.

"C'mon, let's go back to the cabin." I say, pulling her up out of the chair.

She stumbles as we walk to the door, half asleep. When we come out, Nico's still there.

"Can you go cover her up?" I ask.

"Yea." he says, going inside.

"Where are we going?" Scarlett asks.

"To the cabin. You need to go to sleep." I say.

"Oh." she says.

We finally make it back to the Apollo cabin. We come in and I help Scarlett into her bed. I lay the blanket over her and then go back outside and wait for Nico to come back.

I look up at the moon. I couldn't believe Danielle was dead. She would have been seventeen in November. She had been way too young to die, she didn't deserve it. But I suppose not many people _do _deserve to die. It's just a way of life.

**A/N:**

**I told you things were about to get shaken up again. Did ****_anyone _****expect Danielle to die? I had the idea right after I started writing Salvation and just thought it fit perfectly! Oh man, the next chapter... It gets even more shaken up.**

**So I finished watching Black Butler last night. Thank god I was able to find the second season! I would have died of curiosity if I hadn't. Throughout pretty much the whole thing, I was extremely confused and at the end, my mind was fucked. I sat and stared at my TV for a couple of minutes and then said, "That was ****_it?! _****Are you kidding me?! Oh my god, my head hurts now." **

**So, on Sunday I'm leaving for Texas to visit with family. We're actually going to see a Fun. concert on Sunday night and then leaving the next day. I won't be back till the 30th. Ugh, I'm not looking forward to that 14 hour drive. But, I do get to drive now! So I'll have some of my time preoccupied while traveling.**

**I've also started writing some more on Keegan's story (Runaway) and I think it's going to be petty rad. I'm thinking that Salvation's last chapter will be posted while I'm in Texas, so I'll probably start uploading Runaway quite soon.**

**And A New Beginning is looking pretty fucking awesome as well. I literally had to tear myself away from writing it so I could upload this chapter. So that oughta tell you something.**

**M/A:**

_**"'Execution style in the courtyard  
Where everyone awake can witness  
The cowardly shot into the temple  
All because I lost my temper  
Burn the evidence, flee the scene  
Always keep those fingers clean  
Devil eyes stare into mine  
They say there is no place I can hide**_

Now I must compare the consequence  
End my life or just confess  
I won't last a minute in confinement  
Either way I'm going to hell'"

**These lyrics are from the song "Fever Dreams" by Circa Survive. Holy fuck, I just discovered this band last week and they're so awesome I just-oh my god.**

**This song makes me think it's about a person who kills someone or does something awful and is being punished for their actions. I also kinda think that this person has a lover and they feel bad about having to leave them because of what they did. They regret the things they've done and wish they could take it back.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

The next morning, I wake up to see that Scarlett is already awake. She's standing by the window, looking out at the courtyard.

I get out of bed and go over to stand beside her.

"You know we'll have to burn the shroud today." her voice sounded lifeless.

"I know." I say.

She gives a heavy sigh and walks away from the window, starting to get ready for the day. I go back over to my bed and unplug my phone from it's charger.

"1 missed call." That's what my screen read.

I look to see that it was Lucas who had called. I call him back and he answers on the third ring.

"Hey." he says.

"Hey, why'd you call so early?" I ask.

"I talked to Sam last night and he said that you could talk to her once a week." he says.

"Really?" I ask, smiling.

"Yes. He thinks that maybe if she gets to talk to you once a week, she'll maybe not have quite as many episodes. Because after you left the other day, she was fine for the rest of the day." he says.

"How many, erm, "episodes" was she having each day before that?" I ask.

"Well, we asked her doctor from John Hopkins and he said that she would have at least four or five of her fits every day. They had to sedate her a lot." he says.

"Wow. Well, what number do I call?" I ask.

"Just the hospital. Ask for Sam and then the nurse will forward the call to him and then someone else will put her on." he says.

"Alright. Well, I need to get going. I'll talk to you later." I say.

"Bye." he says.

I hang up just as Scarlett comes out of the bathroom. I get together an outfit for today and then head in there to change.

* * *

Burning the shroud had been hard. It had just been Scarlett and I burning it, since the other six had never met Danielle.

The Hermes and Demeter cabin had decorated it, since some of Danielle's closest friends were from Demeter and Hermes.

After the burning, everyone left the campfire grounds, heading to where they needed to be training. Scarlett and the others started heading towards the archery range, but I lagged behind a little so I could talk to Nico.

"How was she this morning?" he asks, his voice low.

"Down, as expected. She'll get better over the summer though, I know she will. Scarlett is a strong person, if anyone can get through something so unexpected like this, she can." I say.

"And what about you?" he asks, taking my hand.

I wait a few seconds before I reply, thinking of how to answer.

"I think I'll be okay. It'll just take some time, y'know?" I say, looking at him.

"I know. Trust me, I know." he says.

* * *

During lunch, the whole mess hall was pretty quiet. Even the Ares table was less loud and obnoxious than usual.

Belen and Melina were trying to make conversation with Scarlett and I, but that wasn't going too well. They'd start off a conversation with each other, then ask Scarlett or me for our opinion on the subject.

If they asked me, I would answer and the conversation would continue for a few more minutes. If they asked Scarlett, she would just stare at her food and remain silent.

After about ten minutes of this, there's a colorful glow right outside. Everyone's attention turns to the door. A few seconds later, Walker comes through and makes a bee-line to the Apollo table.

As he gets closer, I see that he looks extremely worried. I don't think I've ever seen him look so bothered.

He stops right by me and says, "Kyra, I need to talk to you outside for a moment."

I quickly get up from the table and follow him out, sensing that something was horribly wrong. When we get outside to the marble steps, he steers me away from the doorway of the mess hall.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Callie. She's on her way right now. She'll be here within the hour." he says.

"_What_?!" I shout.

"Shh! We don't need to alarm the other campers." he says, putting his hand over my mouth.

I move his hand off of my face and say, "Why not? It's a perfectly reasonable purpose to alarm them."

He sighs and rubs his temples. "There's something you need to know though." he says.

"What?" I ask.

"Callie has had several sorceresses cast enlarging spells on her. So right now, she's about 12 feet tall." he says.

"And _why_ is this _not_ a reason to panic?" I ask.

"Because, even though she's extremely huge now, she still can't get past the boarder. It's too strong for her." he says.

"Well, that's a relief. But still, she's going to get here soon, and the other campers will obviously see her. I'm going to have to try and kill her." I say.

I start walking down the steps and back to the cabins. It would probably be a good idea to go ahead and get my armor on. Walker follows me as I head down the path.

"Does she have any new weaknesses I should know about?" I ask, walking up the Apollo cabin steps.

"There aren't any new ones I'm aware of." he says.

"Alright. I believe it would be best if you found Chiron and told him what's going on." I say, opening the door.

He nods and starts making his way to the Big House. I go into the cabin and start taking my white-gold and leather armor out of my cedar chest.

Maybe this would finally be the last battle. No more fighting, no more pain. Maybe I'd finally defeat her and she'd stay in Tartarus. That was doubtful though.

**A/N:**

**Ahh, it's shaking up! How do you think this so called "final battle" will turn out? Do you think Kyra or Callie will win? So many questions! You're about to find out because I decided to upload another chapter!**


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

Just as I slide my two new daggers into their sheaths on my forearms, I feel a sort of rumbling. Almost like an Earthquake.

I rush out of the cabin and, once I make it out from under the trees, I see Callie. She was, as Walker said, about 12 feet tall. She was making her way towards Camp through the Sound.

I start running towards the sandy beach. Most of the campers had rushed out of the mess hall and were gawking at Callie.

When I get to the beach, I don't stop at the water's edge. I run right into the water and keep going.

Then it hit me. The dream I had had the other night was of this scene. The dream where I had been drowning, the water filling up my lungs.

I push that troubling thought aside though. I was going to battle Callie, and I was going to win. No matter how many times I got pushed down into the water, I was going to come out on top.

She spots me and stops walking. She bends down so that she can see me properly. I quickly touch my pendant and have my bow in my hands.

"You saved your mother, but I doubt you can save yourself this time. When I crush you, there will be no one to save her." she says, grinning.

Her regular smile was terrifying, but now that smile was so much bigger. It would have made the strongest man on the planet run for his mommy.

"You ready to be demolished, for the last time, Kyra?" she asks.

"No." I say.

"Oh, really?" she asks, feigning amusement.

"Yes. Because I'm not the one who's going to be demolished. You are." I say, taking out an arrow and notching it.

She stands up straight again and says, "That's what you think."

She then starts trying to stomp on me with her newly enlarged feet. She gets close a few times. And when I say close, I mean I had to dive out of the way and do a belly-flop into the water to avoid her foot close.

This goes on for quite a few minutes, all the while I'm firing all different kinds of arrows.

"KYRA!" I hear someone shout.

I quickly look behind me and see Nico trying to cross into the water. Something was stopping him though, like an invisible wall or something.

"Oh, you finally noticed? I had a protective barrier put there, so when you crossed into the water, it would seal itself. So you can't count on any help from your friends." she says, giving an evil laugh.

"That's alright. I don't want them laying down their lives just so they can help me battle _my_ enemy. It's just me and you, Callie." I say.

Then I quickly shoot an arrow, catching her off-guard. It lodges itself in the bend of her right arm. It was one of the exploding arrows too.

It explodes, causing a giant hole to form on her arm. She screams as blood pours down her arm and into the water, dying it scarlet.

"You got lucky!" she yells, obviously pretty pissed off now.

"I don't think so." I say, firing another explosive.

It skims the side of her left calf, and explodes, burning her skin. She screams again, and I notice that she shrinks slightly, about a foot.

I look back behind me again and see that Walker was standing on the shore and frantically waving his hands in the air, trying to get my attention. I wade back to shore quickly and reach the barrier.

"The more you wound her, the smaller she gets. When she gets down to her normal size, she'll be mortal again. All the magic that's been placed on her has left her body unprotected. When she's back to normal size, one last blow will kill her." he says.

I nod and then run back into the water. Callie had recovered from her wounds slightly, but her arm was still gushing blood and the spot on her leg where the arrow had exploded was severely burned. I guess she couldn't miraculously heal herself anymore.

I fire arrow after arrow as I near her. Most of them hit their targets, just a few of them missed and cascaded into the water. She was about 8 feet tall now.

I reach her, just feet away, breathing hard. She was doubled up, clutching her stomach. That's where several of my arrows had lodged themselves.

I sling my bow behind me and take out my daggers. The water was just above my knees now.

Suddenly, she straightens up and backhands me, hitting the side of my head with a rock. I fall onto my back in the water, my daggers flying out of my hands. I feel her press her hand down onto me, pushing my head under.

I choke in the water as I struggle to come back up. The water was pouring into my mouth and I couldn't breathe. Oh, how much I wish Percy was here right now.

I couldn't hear anything, but I can just guess that Nico's screaming my name at the top of him lungs and trying his hardest to break that barrier.

Then, I see something gold glimmer out of the corner of my eye. I look over and see my aMuse. It must have fallen out of my pocket when Callie had pushed me under.

It was sort of glowing. I reach over and pick it up. The screen was lighting up and I unlock it. On the home screen, there was a sort of app with a throwing star on it.

I click on it and the aMuse starts to transform into a celestial bronze throwing star. I grin and stab it into Callie's hand.

Her hand immediately retracts and I pop up, coughing up water and trying to breathe at the same time. I uneasily get back on my feet and rush over to her.

I jump onto her back and stab my newly acquired throwing star between her shoulder blades. Then, using one of the battle moves I've used several times before, I pull down.

Every few inches that the blade cut, she shrinks about five inches. By the time I reach her lower back, she's back to her normal size. My star suddenly stops cutting her flesh and I pull it out. The celestial bronze would no longer harm her. That meant she was now fully mortal, for the first time in about 17 years.

* * *

As I dragged Callie onto shore, she was just barely breathing. All the wounds I had given her were still there. She had lost a lot of blood, to say the least.

"Kyra!" and suddenly I'm tackled, nearly falling onto the sand.

It was Nico. He was hugging me so tightly that I could barely breathe, much less _move_.

"Gods. Don't _ever_ do something like that again. I thought I had lost you for good." he says, still holding me.

"Nico, can you please let me go. I can't breathe." I gasp.

He reluctantly releases me and eyes me, as if I was about to run back into the Sound and try to drown myself. Mo comes up to me, as well as my whole cabin, and basically just gives me a giant group hug.

When they let go of me, I look down at Callie. She was moaning slightly, but it was getting fainter and fainter.

"She's dying. I can feel it." Nico says, his eyes grim.

"Walker, what would happen if I brought her back to life?" I ask.

Everyone standing around me looks at me like I'm crazy for even thinking about the possibility of doing that.

"Since she's now a mortal, the strength of your power might be too much for her body to handle. It might burn her to ashes, much like if a demigod consumes too much ambrosia or nectar. It would be easier if I just imagined her back to normal." he says, moving towards her.

"No." I say, causing him to stop and look up at me.

"Why not?" he asks.

"She's my enemy, and I feel that I should be the one to bring her back. It's worth a shot." I say, looking back to Callie. She had stopped breathing completely now.

"Kyra, what the hell are you thinking? She's just going to try and kill you again!" Nico says, holding me back.

"Apollo told me that everyone deserves a second chance, even if it doesn't seem like they do." I say.

Then I get on my knees and start chanting. For a few seconds, Callie glowed red, like she was about to burst into flames. Then the glow faded and her skin went back to it's normal color.

A minute later, her eyes pop open. They were a clear blue, not the brown they had been the first time I had met her when she had been John's "girlfriend." Nor were they the glowing red they had been when she was an empousa.

"Wh-where am I?" she asks, rubbing her head.

"Uh, hi, Cal-I mean, Leah." I say, helping her to her feet.

"How do you know my name?" she asks.

"You don't remember me, do you?" I ask.

"Remember you? I've never met you." she says.

I look to Nico and grin. I guess since she was a mortal again, she didn't remember anything she had done while she had been a monster.

"Do you happen to remember your friend Michelle St. Claire?" I ask. Since my mom hadn't even met Lucas at the time Leah/Callie had been turned into a monster, my mom had still had her maiden name.

"Yes. Is she okay?" she asks, sounding worried.

"Yes. She's fine. I'm her daughter, Kyra." I say.

"Wait, no. I just saw Michelle the other day. She was still pregnant with you." she says, clutching her head and swaying, like she was dizzy.

Walker grabs a hold of her arm, steadying her.

"You've, ah, been in a coma for nearly 18 years, Leah." Walker says.

I look at him and he shrugs, giving me a face that said, "I don't know. Just go along with it."

"A coma? How did that happen?" she asks.

"You were walking across the street and a car ran a red light and hit you. You survived, but went into a coma." I say.

"Oh. So, why am I on a beach?" she asks.

"This is a private facility right outside of Baltimore. The beach is man-made. Someone who works here thought it would be funny to bring you out onto the beach and you just happened to wake up." Walker says.

"Well, can I go back to Baltimore then?" she asks.

"Erm, sure. But we need to run some tests on you real quick, just to make sure you're stable." he says.

"Oh, okay. Well then, let's go." she says.

Walker comes over to me and says, "I'll have Chiron give her a sleeping potion, so she'll be asleep when we get to Sinai."

"Alright. Thanks, Walker." I say.

"No problem. Goodbye, Kyra. I'm not sure when I'll see you next." he says, walking away with Callie and up to the Big House.

**A/N:**

**So, did ****_anyone _****see that little twist I put at the ending? Did any of you think Kyra would actually be willing to bring Leah/Callie back to life? Even after all she's put her through?**

**Well, I finally got finished packing today. That took much longer than I thought it would. I could barely zip my suitcase closed; I ended up having to sit on it and even then, it was still really hard to close. I thought that maybe I'd have to up-size to my bigger one, but considering my parents also have to pack and we have to fit everything in my mom's little Scion, it was best if I could fit it all in the smaller one. **

**I am definitely not looking forward to tomorrow morning or Monday morning. Both days I have to get up really early. Well, tomorrow won't be so bad since where we're going it will only take about 2-2 1/2 hours, but on Monday, we're planning on getting up at 6 or 7 in the morning so we can get to my grandmother's house around 4 o'clock.**

**M/A:**

**One of my favorite songs off of Green Day's first album "1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour" is "Disappearing Boy."**

_**"'Now you see me, now you don't  
Don't ask me where I'm at  
'Cause I'm a million miles away  
Treated like a forbidden heel  
Don't say my thoughts are not for real  
Or you won't see me again**_

Am I here or am I there  
Or am I playing on the stairs  
Am I in my room with my toys  
I am the disappearing boy'"

_****_**I can relate to this song because sometimes I feel like I'm so invisible and I'm just disappearing more and more.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

That night, there was much celebration. Callie was finally gone. Or at least, empousa Callie was. Mortal Callie was still alive, but she didn't remember anything that she had done.

"Alright guys, let's end tonight with some Lit, shall we?" I say into the microphone.

There are several "Woo's!" I smile and motion for Belen and Melina to start playing.

_"'It's behind you and_  
_It's in your face_  
_Close your eyes_

_Selling years of their_  
_Smoke and mirrors and_  
_Open minds_

_And they try and find a way to make me something that I'm not'"_

We continue on with the song, getting everyone at the campfire on their feet and singing or dancing. It amazed me how some of the campers could do both _while eating a s'more._

When we end the song, Belen and Melina come up to me and we all take a bow. Everyone was clapping and cheering. This was probably the best response I'd ever gotten out of the campers throughout my years performing.

The fires start dimming and the counselors begin to corral their siblings onto the path and towards the cabins.

I help Belen and Melina put up the instruments and the microphones, then we walk off the stage. Scarlett was waiting for us with Galen, Alexis, Timothy, and Adonis. Nico was just behind them.

"C'mon guys. Nico wants to talk to Kyra for a few minutes." Scarlett says, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

Belen and Melina walk past me and the seven of them start heading up the path, looking like a tight-knit little family as they made their way. I smile to myself and then turn to look at Nico as he approaches me.

"Are you finally going to ask me what you've been meaning to ask me?" I question, giving him a wry smirk.

He smirks and says, "Yes actually. That is, if we don't get interrupted again." he pauses and looks around rather dramatically for emphasis.

"Alright then, ask away." I say, laughing.

He gets down on one knee and I know what he's going to ask right before he does.

"Kyra, will you marry me?" he asks, reaching into his black cargo short's pocket and pulling out a small black box.

He opens it to reveal a white-gold ring. There was a black diamond in the center, surrounded by small yellow diamonds.

"I've spent the last four years with you Kyra, and it's been an adventure. I want every day of my life to be an adventure, and I want those days to be with you." he says, smiling up at me.

"So, will you?" he asks, his dark brown eyes almost smoldering in the dying firelight.

I was speechless. I don't know _why_ I was speechless. I sort of expected him to propose sooner or later. But I didn't think he'd do it tonight. And never would I have thought it would have been at the first place we kissed.

"Yes." I whisper.

"Yes?" he asks, his eyes widening. It's like he had expected me to say no.

"Yes!" I say, falling to my knees and placing my arms behind his neck.

I kiss him and he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. We break apart and he slides the ring onto my finger.

We get back onto our feet and start walking to the cabins. Tonight has definitely been a good night. It could only get better, really.

* * *

As I walk into the cabin, a smile still plastered to my face, the five older kids look at me, smug looks on their faces.

"C'mon. Let's see it." Scarlett says, holding out her hand.

I put my hand in hers and they all look at the ring.

My phone starts ringing so I take my hand away and go outside to answer it.

"Hello?" I say.

"Kyra." someone sighs on the other end, sounding relieved.

I was shocked speechless. It couldn't be him. I watched his body burn, and I also had that dream of how Callie had killed him. It was impossible.

"Ky? You still there?" he asks.

"John?" I whisper, my voice hoarse.

"Yea." he says.

I scream. Scarlett throws open the door, looking alarmed. She finds me staring at my phone like it was million dollars, yet also covered in monster goo.

**A/N:**

**AHHHH! OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE THAT COMING?! I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT WAY TO END THIS FANGIRLING, FEELS FILLED CHAPTER.**

**Okay, the little fangirl attack is over now...For the most part. When I was writing this chapter a few weeks ago, I literally found myself tearing up and trying not to just break down in hysterical sobs while screaming, "OH MY GOD, HE FINALLY DID IT! AND SHE SAID YES! OH MY GOD, I'M FUCKING WRITING THIS, THIS IS MY OWN CHARACTER, AND I'M GETTING SO EMOTIONAL OVER IT!"**

**And then just adding that little, tiny, beginning bit of a conversation between Kyra and John-man, I bet you guys hate me now since I left it like that.**

**So the Fun. concert was AWESOME! Holy fuck, the best feeling on the planet is being able to feel the bass vibrate your bones and basically just your whole body. My mom and I were discussing that yesterday while we were driving and she said, "I can't even imagine what it would be like going to a concert if you were hopped up on some mind-altering drug."**

**And I said, "That-that would be pretty psychedelic, actually. I mean, man that would be awesome."**

**And she said, "Well, if I tried that, it would probably kill me. But at least I could say I died happy."**

**I really just want to go to another concert now. Like, really bad. It was really cool seeing Fun. but I think I would literally just start happily sobbing (if there is such a thing) if I were to go to a Green Day concert. I mean, they're the band that started it all for me, they've got the most specialist place in the music section of my heart and it would just be really overwhelming, yet really awesome and just-gah. I'm getting excited over something that hasn't even happened yet (and yes, I****_ will _****be going to a GD concert, hopefully their next tour.)**

**And I'm sure you're all thinking, "Good god, Mrs-diAngelo25, why the fuck are you up so early?!" Well, since I'm not getting to spend a bunch of time with my mom's family on this trip, I got up really early this morning (like 8 o'clock. I know that's not very early for a lot of people, but it is for me since I usually don't go to bed til about 1 and I don't wake up til about 10 o'clock) and we went to my grandfather's headstone and put new flowers there, and then we came back to the house and I showed my grandmother the art I've done and uploaded to DeviantART.**

**So, that's all for today. I'll talk to y'all later today probably. I'm not quite sure though because my cousin is coming over to the house after she gets out of school and then some more of the family are coming and we're going to have dinner. So I suppose I'll talk to you guys when I talk to you :)**

**M/A:**

**So, I don't know if any of you listen to The Smiths, but they're pretty cool. They're a 1980s band, if you haven't heard of them before. I really like their song "William, It Really Was Nothing"**

_**"'William, William it was really nothing**_  
_**William, William it was really nothing**_  
_**It was your life'"**_

**The chorus sorta reminds me of my brother. He always seems to overreact about the smallest things going on in my life, things that effect me for better or worse. I suppose that's just an older brother being protective and stuff with his little sister, but sometimes, the things he worries about with me, really aren't that important or "worry-worthy."**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"What do you mean Callie didn't kill you?" I ask.

I was sitting out on the Apollo cabin steps. I had told Scarlett to go on to bed, I'd be a while.

"She didn't. She just knocked me out. I've been locked in a basement for the past year." he says.

"What is it with you and basements?" I grumble.

"What was that?" he asks.

"Nothing. Just explain to me, who was the person I watched burn in the house last year?" I ask.

"Callie had had one of her sorceress friends cast a cloaking enchantment on some other guy. It changed their appearance to look exactly like me. My guess is that she killed him and then left him to burn in the house, making you think it was actually me?" he asks.

"Well, since I'm talking to you right now, yes. I guess that's what happened." I say.

"So how did you free yourself? You said you've been locked in a basement for the past year." I say.

"Earlier today, at about 2:00, the door just unlocked itself. I don't know why, but I left as fast as I could. Took it as a free pass." he says.

"Callie died at about 2:00 today." I say, thoughtful.

"_What_?" he asks, sounding shocked.

I quickly explain what all had happened, the battle, Callie dying, and then me bringing her back to life and she having no memories of the past 18 years.

"Whoa." he says.

"Where's mom?" he asks.

So I break the news of that whole ordeal to him. After I finish telling him all that happened with her, he's silent for a few minutes, probably trying to figure out how exactly to wrap his mind around it all.

"Do you want the house's address? You can sleep there tonight if you want. The extra key is under the fake rock in the garden beside the steps." I say.

"Yea. That would be great." he says.

I tell him where to go and we end phone call soon after, after I made him promise to call me tomorrow, that is.

I look down at my phone to see that it was just past midnight. I really just wanted to go to bed, it'd been a long day, but it would probably be a good idea to call Lucas and tell him who I had just talked to.

That way he won't have a heart attack when he walks into the house tomorrow morning to find John asleep on the couch.

* * *

By the time I finally crawl into bed, it was nearly 1:30. It had taken a lot of explaining and convincing to make Lucas believe that John actually _was_ alive. He probably called the house after just to see if John would answer.

There had been a lot I had needed to tell him, and there had been a lot he had needed to tell me.

The main thing was that my mother hadn't had any episodes at all today. He said that she had been just like her old self, pleasant to talk to and wanting to have her Nikon camera in her hands to take pictures of everything.

I had been pleasantly surprised. Maybe Callie had done something to her to make her seem like she had schizophrenia. Maybe she didn't have it at all. Or maybe, she was just having a good day.

I close my eyes and snuggle myself under the blanket, thinking that maybe, for the first time in four years, life might be looking up.

**A/N:**

**Well, there you go. The explanation as to why John is alive, and not long ago burned to a crisp and blown away in the wind. What do you think about Lucas' news about Kyra's mom? We've only got TWO MORE CHAPTERS, GUYS! The Pre-Epilogue and the Epilogue! I'll upload those sometime on Saturday. ****I think you guys are really gonna like the Epilogue, it's really cute :3**

**Oh, and I gave some (okay, a lot) of thought as to what this series should be called, and I finally came up with "The Shadows of Revolution." I had also considered "The Pendulum of Dark and Light," but I thought that was a bit too long. **

**So yesterday I met my new nephew and good god, he's so fucking adorable! He was born premature, but he was fine, just very, very tiny. He had to stay in the hospital for two weeks so he could develop and grow a little more, but besides that, he was perfectly fine. Apparently his nasal canals aren't as big as they're supposed to be though, so he makes these snorting sounds while he's asleep. He also twitches a lot while he's asleep and he just looks so goddamned cute! **

**And today, my parents and I went shopping in the small downtown on the island and there's this place called, "Colonel Bubbie's" and it's all war relics and jackets and shirts and just all kinds of stuff from wars. Sooo, I got the most awesome jacket and it's super adorable, and I also got a Korea Veteran pin to put on my backpack with all the other buttons and pins. If you're wondering if there's something important about the Korean war to me, there is. My grandfather fought in it and he received a Purple Heart medal. **

**We also went to this place called Henley's Market and they've got all kinds of stuff there. Mostly recycled bracelets and notebooks and all kinds of stuff, really. I got some cool bracelets. Every one of these bracelets you get purifies one gallon of water and provides jobs for people in Haiti, and I thought that was pretty rad. The website you can go to to buy one is called "simbi haiti . com," if any of you guys wanna check it out.**

**But the coolest thing I got there was a pair of earrings. But these are not just any regular old earrings. These are FUCKING DRACHMA EARRINGS. I'M NOT JOKING! THE EARRINGS ARE DRACHMA COINS WITH A LITTLE OWL ON IT! **

**Okay, so after all that, we went and had Chinese food for lunch and then we came back to the hotel and then we went to the beach for an hour or so. And then we came back to the hotel and we've just been chilling out since. I think we're actually going to go to the Golden Corral they have here for dinner. It's really awesome for a buffet. All the food is fresh and sooo good!**

**And then tomorrow, we're going to have lunch with my aunt and uncle, and then we're going to hang out with my other sister for the rest of the day. Ugh. Wish me luck on that. She's the one that came to my house a couple of months ago. It's too soon to see her and the rest of them again, but then, it's not my decision on who I get to see and not see. My mom has made that quite clear to me, even though she's on my side and is dreading seeing my sister as much as I am. **

**If it were up to us, we would of just divided this trip between ****_her _****family and then ended it with like a weekend on the beach. I would've been fine with that. But, she said that maybe just she and I can come back back in the spring and spend a week or so with her family, so maybe that'll work out.**

**M/A:**

_**"'There's something I don't wanna understand  
The only way a woman's gonna want a man  
The only way you'll ever keep her in your hands  
Is breaking apart her heart**_

_**Don't tell her she's the reason that you live  
Don't give her everything that you've got to give  
If you wanna keep the girl for as long as you live  
Just break it apart her heart'"**_

**This is the chorus from the song "Break Apart Her Heart" by Good Charlotte. I love this song so much. Partially for the beat, and partially for the message it gives. I mean, it's true. Usually the only way a guy (or a girl) is going to get her/his heart is to break them. They pretty much always come crawling back to the person that broke their heart, and I think what Joel Madden (the lead singer) is trying to say is that he just really doesn't understand it. **

**I mean, why can't someone just love someone else and not have to break their heart to get them to love them more? It's idiotic, really. If you love someone and they love you, you shouldn't have to do something to hurt them to make them love you more. That's just not right. **

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	51. Pre-Epilogue

**Pre-Epilogue**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

I know a lot of people would probably think that 19 is pretty young to get married and disagree with it. Well, it _is_ a really young age to get married, but Nico and I didn't want to wait three or four years after getting engaged to get married.

I look at myself in the full length mirror and smooth out my dress. Scarlett and mom had helped me pick it out. It fell just a few inches below my knees.

It was black lace over a lightweight, cream white fabric; the sleeves were just the black lace, stopping at the bend of my elbow; the back was open, showing off my shoulder blades.

I had asked Nico what he thought I should do with my hair; grow it out or leave it short. He had voted short, saying that my short hair looked better, and I had agreed with him. So, it was done in little loose curls.

It had been a little over a year since Nico had proposed to me at Camp. Everything, as I had thought, had started looking up. Sure, there had been a few monster attacks here and there, but that would most likely always happen.

"Kyra, are you ready?" Scarlett asks, peeking her head into the dressing room.

I take a deep breath and say, "Yea."

I grab my bouquet of small red and yellow sunflowers and follow her out of the room.

I was relatively nervous. There was the expected nervousness, then there was the absolutely petrified out of my mind nervousness on top of that.

The reason being, Apollo, Hades, Poseidon, and pretty much all the other Olympians had been invited. So, say I trip going down the isle, I will _never_ live that down, since they're immortal. Even when I'm dead, they'd still remember that.

"You ready?" Will asks.

He was dressed in a classic tux, as was Belen. Their ties were a gold and black paisley print and they both had a red tulip pinned to their jackets.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I sigh.

"You'll do fine." Melina says, placing a hand on my shoulder and smiling at me.

She and Scarlett were wearing one shoulder, red silk dresses that fell just above their knees.

"Gods, I just hope I don't trip down the isle." I say.

Scarlett, Will, Melina, and Belen all look down at my feet and laugh.

"Ky, I don't think you will, since you're not wearing heels." Scarlett says, giggling.

I glance down at my feet. I had refused to wear the black high-heels my mom had picked out for me. I had told her I was going to wear my beaten up Converse. They'd been through everything I had been through over the past five years, I thought they had deserved to be in this moment too.

"True. It's pretty hard to trip in these." I say.

"Well, c'mon guys. Let's get this thing started." Will says, motioning for the others to follow him.

They all go outside and I wait for them to start playing the music.

"You ready for this?" someone says behind me.

I jump and then turn around.

There was a man standing there, wearing a police uniform. I vaguely remembered him from last year. He had come up to Nico and I after we had killed that hydra. It was Walker.

"Don't do that! You scared me." I say, smacking his arm.

He smirks at me and shrugs.

"And I suppose I am. They're about to start playing the music, so it's almost time." I say.

"Well, I just wanted to wish you and Nico good luck. I would at the reception, but I need to get back to work." he says, motioning to his uniform.

"Work?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yea. I do live on Earth, not Olympus. I have to make money some how." he says, acting like this should have been obvious.

"Oh. I guess I just assumed gods didn't have to pay rent if they lived down here most of the time." I say.

"There are a few of us that mainly live here, and we have to work. We're like actual mortals…There's just a few tiny differences…" he says.

"Tiny?" I ask.

"Okay, _big_ differences." he says.

I hear the beginning notes of "The Little Things Give You Away" by Linkin Park. Melina would start singing soon, and that's when I needed to start walking down the isle.

"Well, I need to get going. I'll see you later Kyra." he says.

He turns to leave, but I grab his hand and he turns back around. I give him a quick hug and say, "Thank you."

"For what? Wishing you luck?" he asks, a confused look on his face.

"No. For being there for me last year and protecting me. I wouldn't be alive and about to get married if it weren't for you." I say.

His cheeks turn a very light shade of pink, barely noticeable. He nods and then he turns to leave again.

Lucas and Apollo come in a few seconds later and hold out their arms. I smile and loop mine through theirs and then we walk through the doors.

As they walk me down the isle, I see Nico for the first time that day. When he turns and looks at me, his whole face lights up with a smile.

I also look around at the guests. Mom, John, and John's girlfriend, Atala, were sitting at the end of the isle on the left. All of our friends from Camp were also sitting on the left. All the Olympians and a few of the minor gods like Hypnos and Iris were sitting on the right side of the isle.

The Hecate and Demeter cabin had done a fabulous job of decorating the place. It was like an autumn wonderland. Colorful leaves were scattered down the isle, in place of rose petals, and tied to each isle chair was a giant sunflower. The Hecate cabin had somehow managed to suspend pumpkins in the air, and it also looked like the ceiling was made of twinkling stars.

We finally get to the end of the isle and Lucas and Apollo give me away.

Hera had insisted on being the one that wedded us, so she starts telling the story of how she and Zeus met. I sort of just zoned out. I didn't give a fuck as to how those two met.

Finally, after droning on and on for about fifteen minutes, she finally has us say our vows.

"And do you, Kyra Hale, take Nico di Angelo to be your husband?" she asks.

"I do." I say, smiling.

"Alright. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." she says, smiling slightly.

Nico steps forward and kisses me. Pretty much all of the guests started cheering. It was just a tad embarrassing.

The music starts up again and they start playing "Perfect One" by Lit. Nico and I start walking back up the isle, holding hands and laughing as the guests blew bubbles at us.

No matter how nervous I had been before hand, I wouldn't of cared if I had tripped. Because I know that, even once we were dead and gone, I wouldn't of cared if the gods were still laughing at me and referring to me as "the girl who tripped down the isle on her wedding day." I would have Nico and that's all that mattered.

**A/N:**

**Cute little wedding. Well, I suppose it wasn't _little, _since all their friends from Camp were there, and also all the Olympians and some of the minor gods as well. Kyra's dress is actually the one I want when I get married. I don't want one of those giant, puffy Cinderella dresses because that's just not me. And I'd also want those colors too. Red, gold, and black. They just go so wonderfully together. Basically, Kyra and Nico's whole wedding is what I want when I get married. I'd adore having a fall wedding. Not too hot, not to cold, just perfect.**

**I had originally thought about Nico singing "Perfect One" to Kyra when he had proposed, and had him do it at the campfire in front of everyone, but then I thought, "No. It needs to be just them, alone, like the time they first kissed at the campfire." **

**I'll tell you guys about my day and also put the last M/A for this story in the next chapter...Talk to you soon!**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


	52. Epilogue

**Epilogue**  
**Five Years Later**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan.

* * *

"Momma! Daddy's home!" James says, running into the kitchen and looking up at me.

Five years have gone by since Nico and I got married. We had waited a year until we decided to have James. We had wanted to move out of our tiny apartment and find a house before we added another person into the mix.

I smile down at him and he grabs my hand with his small, pudgy four year old hand. As he drags me out of the kitchen and into the living room, I hear the front door close.

Nico walks in, hanging up his leather jacket and putting his sword up out of reach of James' small hands. He turns around just as James lets go of my hand, rushing up to him and jumping into his arms.

"Hey, buddy!" Nico says, a bright smile on his face.

He starts to tickle James and he begins to wiggle around in his arms.

"Daddy, stop! Stop!" James squeals, laughing.

Nico sets him down and he runs to his room to play with his toys.

I walk over to him and he wraps him arms around me. I bury my head into his chest. He smelled like the usual musty dampness of the Underworld, along with Old Spice and freshly fallen rain.

"How was work today?" I mumble into his shirt.

"Long, as usual. Several of the damned spirits decided to cause a full-on riot in Punishment. I had to help the Furies get that under control." he says, resting his head on top of mine.

"Sounds like _so_ much fun." I say.

"Oh yea, definitely." he says, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Anything else happen?" I ask.

"I had to run a few errands for Hades up to the surface, but besides that, not really." he says.

"So how's little miss Adrienne today?" he asks, kneeling down and placing his hands on my bumped stomach.

"She's fine. Started kicking again today while I was in the middle of teaching a class up at the studio." I say, chuckling.

"Oh, yea?" he asks, looking up at me and smirking.

I nod and say, "Yea. And for some unknown reason, I decided to announce that to the whole class and they all dropped what they were doing and placed their hands on my stomach to feel her."

"Muddy stomach?" he asks.

"You know it." I say, nodding.

"So what's for dinner?" he asks.

"I was just starting to make tacos when you got here." I say, waddling back into the kitchen with him.

"I'll finish cooking. Go on and rest." he says, kissing my forehead.

* * *

As soon as I sat down in the big comfy chair in the living room, Adrienne started kicking again. I chuckle, placing my hands on my stomach. She'd be coming soon, any day now actually.

James walks in carrying his toy bow and arrows.

"James, come here." I say.

He drops his bow and arrows on the floor and runs over to me, then hops up onto the ottoman by my feet. I take his small hands and place them on my stomach.

He sits there for a second, looking at my stomach in wonder. Suddenly, he looks up at me, alarm on his face.

"Momma! Tere's somethin' in your tummy!" he says.

I laugh and say, "That's your sister, James."

His leaf green eyes grow huge. "You _eated_ her?!" he shrieks.

"No, no. I didn't eat-_Oh_." I say.

"Momma? What's wrong, momma?" he asks, little creases forming on his forehead.

"Nico!" I shout.

He rushes out of the kitchen, wearing my black and red polka-dotted apron.

"What?" he asks, a panicked expression on his face.

"It's time." I say, sitting up and getting out of the chair.

"Oh fu-" he starts to say, but I give him a warning look.

We had agreed to try and not curse in front of James when mom had called one day and told us he had been going around the house the whole day dropping his toys down the stairs and then saying "Godsdammit."

"Fudge. Let me call your mom and she can meet us up at the hospital and take James." he says, taking out his phone.

"James, come on. Help me get some things." I say, taking his hand.

"Momma, are you gonna be otay?" he asks.

"I'll be fine, James." I say.

We walk down the hallway and to his room. I grab his little backpack that I had packed last week, just for this occasion.

"Grab a couple of toys, James. You're staying with Noni and Papa tonight." I say.

He smiles and picks up a couple of his cars and then drops them into the backpack.

"Is that all?" I ask, surprised. Usually he would have wanted to bring every single toy he has.

"Noni gotsted me some toys." he says, giving me a sly grin.

"Ooh. I see." I say, shaking my head and smiling.

My mom and Lucas adored spoiling James since he was the only current grandchild. John and his wife, Atala, have been married for a year, but she doesn't want to have children quite yet.

We walk out of his room and Nico was standing in the living room, practically bouncing up and down with anticipation waiting for us.

"Ready?" he asks.

"As I'll ever be." I say.

"Let's do this." he says, smiling.

"Well, if I recall from the last time, _I_ was doing all the work." I say.

"Oh, you know what I mean." he says.

* * *

As I walk into the house, holding Adrienne in my arms, I let the warm air envelope me. It was freezing outside and it just started snowing when we pulled into the garage.

James runs straight to his room to play with his neglected toys that haven't been touched in a week.

It felt nice being home for the first time in a week. There had been some minor complications with Adrienne and the doctor had wanted to keep both of us at the hospital, just to be sure we were okay before we came home.

"Ugh. Nico, did you leave the taco meat in the kitchen?" I ask, smelling something awful.

"Ah, man." he says, covering his eyes with his hand.

"I'll go take care of that." he says, heading into the kitchen.

I chuckle and walk into the living room. I sit down in the big chair and look down at Adrienne. Before we know it, both she and James will be going to camp. It never ceased to amaze me that James was already four.

I brush some of her dark hair to the side and she opens her dark brown eyes and looks at me in wonder. I lean my head back and look up at the light blue ceiling. It felt good to be home again.

**A/N:**

**And there you go. Was that a fitting ending? Sweet and just adorable? I want to thank you all for sticking with me throughout this series, it's been a joy talking to you guys and hearing your feedback on the chapters. I also want to thank Star Holder Commander, once again, for letting me use Walker in this story. I feel that he really tied things together and supplied that missing piece of the story. **

**Now, I've been writing on Keegan's story and it's going to be an interesting one, I'll tell ya that. But, when I start posting it on Tuesday probably, you guys will probably want to read it because there'll be something at the end of it that ties into the trilogy. **

**Speaking of the trilogy, I'm really liking the way it's panning out. I think you guys are really going to enjoy reading it, or at least, I hope you will...**

**So yesterday started out well. I went to lunch with my sister (the non-annoying one) and my aunt and uncle. My uncle and I rode this awesome, wooden roller coaster and it was, well, awesome! He's actually not supposed to ride them because he had a liver transplant a few years back and his doctor told him not to ride them, but he just blew him off and rides them anyway.**

**But anyway, yesterday afternoon and evening weren't all that great. As I told you guys in the A/N of 50, I had to eat dinner with my other sister and her family. Ugh. Just think about what happened this summer and jam it all into like 3 or 4 hours. **

**It was really awful because my brain just decided to make me have a panic attack during all this and it was a really bad one. I could ****_hear _****and ****_feel _****my heart beating, and that was really scary. And the trick I learned to help me control them wasn't working at all. The trick is that I snap a rubber band against my wrist and it sorta brings me back down to Earth and calms down. That usually works, but it wasn't last night.**

**So, I Kiked my Welsh friend (a die hard GD fan, like myself) and he basically just told me to get a hold of myself and calm down. Talking to him helped a lot and I got myself under control again. All I really wanted to do was curl up in a ball in my room and blast my music. Of course, I couldn't ****_do _****that, so that's why I started talking to him. **

**Today was, by far, much better than yesterday. I went to eat lunch with my brother and his family and then we went to the aquarium and we had a lot of fun :)**

**I'm ready to be home though. I miss sleeping in my own bed and not being awoken by my dad's snoring at 3 in the morning.**

**M/A:**

**Today's just gonna be all about Green Day because just-yes. **

**One of my most favoritest songs off of their album "21st Century Breakdown" is "East Jesus Nowhere." The beat and the lyrics and just everything about it is just so fucking awesome and just-oh man.**

_**"'Raise your hands now to testify  
Your confession will be crucified'"**_

_****_**These lyrics a****re probably my favorite ones throughout the whole song. Just like, wow. It, I guess you could say, "speaks" to me. They're saying, a lot of people want you to confess to something you've done that was really bad, and if you do that, those same people are going to pick you apart because the thing you confessed to, was ****_too _****bad for their taste. **

**That's why I'm always really afraid to fess up to something that I've done, even if it wasn't bad, just weird. I'm terrified I'll be picked apart and made fun of, be looked upon as a total outcast because of something I did.**

**XOXO,**

**Mrs-diAngelo25**


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